


War & Beauty

by Avesolaris



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2016-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-27 18:26:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 66,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5059342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avesolaris/pseuds/Avesolaris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was the second-in-command of the Uchiha and fearsome younger brother of Madara. The Curse of Hatred flowed strongly in his veins and yet he finds himself unable to tear his gaze away from her, a co-heir of the Senju beside Hashirama. Events loosely based on the Warring States Era in Japan. Izuna/Toka with slight mentions of Hashirama/Madara. Very gradual build of relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Honno-Ji

** 1582 Honno Ji Temple, Kyoto  **

 

Izuna was only 6 years old when he learned about the frail mortality of men – an inescapable destiny that even the greatest and most powerful men could not defeat.

 

Oda Nobunaga – that very name struck fear into the hearts of many civilians, shinobi and Samurai alike, for his ruthlessness in his military ambitions in unifying the country was legendary. For such a fearsome name that commanded entire Samurai armies and Shinobi mercenaries, Izuna was surprised to see a mottled, puffy face and a bulging paunch dressed in lavish court robes.

 

This was the great and terrifying Oda Nobunaga? The Uchiha clan had been serving such a meek-looking, withered old stick that could barely mount a horse?

 

_This must be a joke._

 

It was summer, and Oda Nobunaga, the most powerful Samurai warlord of the land had sent all his troops to continue his military expansion while he was left unguarded with a coterie of artisans and musicians and two lone bodyguards from the favored Uchiha clan – Izuna and his older brother, Kazuhiko.

 

Despite being 12 years old, Kazuhiko had already earned a fearsome reputation on the battlefield as the “Fiery Dragon”, and had earned the favor of Oda Nobunaga, who had requested for him to guard him as he had a short vacation at Honno Ji Temple. Kazuhiko had brought Izuna along to expose him to the finer intricacies of war outside the battlefield.

 

All was fine until Izuna felt Kazuhiko tense beside him, Sharingan activated.

 

It didn’t take long for Izuna, who was an innate sensor, to find out what caused it.

 

Peering through the window, Izuna saw ranks of armored Samurai on horseback, bows and swords drawn, ready to attack. He let his eyes wander down the ranks of the soldiers and landed upon their leader and his eyes widened in surprise.

 

The leader of the attacking legion was none other than Oda’s most trusted Samurai General, Akechi Mitsuhide. All became clear.

 

**_It was a coup d’etat._ **

 

What caught Izuna’s attention next was the small group of shinobi that was gathered around Akechi – each bore the arms of none other than the Uchiha’s most detested enemy.

 

**“ _Senju --_ !!!”** Kazuhiko almost spat, his eyes narrowing.

 

It was the worst possible situation for the Uchiha. An entire legion of elite Samurai warriors with skilled shinobi from the famed Senju clan and no fighters save for themselves in this oncoming battleground. They had no chance of winning, let alone surviving.

 

“Tch!” Kazuhiko hissed, and grabbed Izuna’s hand, launching both of them up onto the wooden beams on the ceiling.

 

“Nii-san, what –“

 

“ _Shhh_! Izuna! Listen, we’re **_no match_ ** for what’s waiting for us outside. It’s a coup d’etat, and they are going to kill Oda. We are not their target, and it is best if we abandon this mission and escape with our lives – report back to the Uchiha on this, got it?” Kazuhiko whispered urgently.

 

Pulling him along, both Uchiha brothers leapt onto the roof and obscured their chakra so that the Samurai and shinobi below would not notice their chakra signatures as they watched the events unfold before their eyes.

 

It all happened so fast. The Samurai legions faced no resistance as they barged through the gates and rounded in on the cowering artisans who were hysterically begging for mercy, disclaiming any connections with Oda, who had locked himself away in a separate room.

 

Akechi Mitsuhide stood towering before them, katana drawn and glowing with a blazing sinister light under the midday sun. “Toka!” he barked.

 

Immediately, a Senju shinobi appeared at his side, silent and stealthy as a cat, slinking her way through the group to stand beside Akechi.

 

Izuna felt Kazuhiko lean forward in interest. It was not everyday that a fearsome Samurai General called upon a child shinobi, let alone a girl.

 

The female shinobi looked to be only a few years older than Izuna, barely 10, with the chubby, rose-hued cheeks of childhood still clinging to her face. She had rich, chocolate brown hair up in a simple ponytail and the most dazzling turquoise eyes Izuna had ever seen. Despite being dressed in metal armor plates and a stern expression on her face, this girl was an undeniable beauty at such a young age.

 

Izuna felt himself blush a little inwardly like any normal boy would when he saw a pretty girl. “What a pretty nee-san,” he thought, “I wonder what she’s going to do.”

 

Akechi was gazing at the cowering artisans lazily as he sheathed his katana. “Toka, these poor artisans are innocent people who just happened to be caught in between the feud I have with Oda…”

 

He turned his head slightly to giver her a look, **“Finish them off mercifully.”**

 

There was a tense moment of silence as the reality of his words sank in, and the artisans broke into mournful, hysterical wails, begging for mercy from death. It was a sound Izuna had long gotten accustomed to, but at his innocent stage, he had never quite managed to compartmentalize his sympathy and sadness at Akechi’s ruthless command.

 

Toka bowed slightly, before a huge surge of chakra permeated through the compound.

 

The wails stopped immediately as gifted Sharingan eyes saw the ghostly blue tendrils of Genjutsu weave an illusion around the artisans’ eyes, lulling them into a blissful trance.

 

Even faster than the human eye could see, Toka lifted her hand and numerous tiny water bullets shot out of her palms and sliced through the artisans’ necks, leaving a smooth crimson trail in their wake. It was over in one second – all twenty artisans dead in a pile on the tatami floor.

 

Kazuhiko and Izuna stared, wide eyed, Sharingan eyes unable to believe what they just witnessed. Never had they seen a shinobi able to skillfully manipulate any element into fatal bullets that wounded and killed, and at such a blinding speed too. If not for their Sharingan, there would have been no way they could have seen the barrage of bullets coming the artisans’ way.

 

The surrounding Samurai also seemed impressed beyond belief as they stood silently, hands and katanas frozen in place as they saw how swift and masterful the execution was.

 

A wide smirk found its way onto Akechi’s face as he stroked Toka’s cheek in approval – her face a blank canvas that didn’t betray any remorse that she had just murdered 20 people in three seconds.

 

“Senju Butsuma was right in recommending you to me, young one. You are indeed a rare jewel of talent. The Senju shall be duly rewarded when I become Daimyo of this land after I kill Oda,” chuckled Akechi.

 

The Senju girl bowed, “Thank you, Sir. It is an honor to serve you.”

 

Akechi nodded, before a dark veil descended upon his visage. Bloodthirst.

 

“Onward to our prize, my fellow warriors.”

 

Izuna and Kazuhiko watched as Akechi, the Senju girl and the Samurai made their way to the room they knew Oda was in. All the while, Izuna had his eyes on the Senju girl, and desperately hoped Kazuhiko wouldn’t mind – he was just a 6-year-old boy who was entitled to harmless crushes after all. And in an era where women were discouraged from the battlefield, such a powerful and capable female shinobi was a rare and valuable sight Izuna had yet to behold.

 

Izuna braced himself for the finale between Oda and Akechi, but his keen sensor instincts immediately felt the cold, ebbing chakra of Oda as Akechi slid the wooden door open.

 

Sure enough, the door opened to reveal Oda Nobunaga, the most powerful man in all the land, crumpled in a small heap on the floor, blood seeping out of his neck and staining the tatami mats – his katana lodged into the thick columnade of his neck.

 

He had decided to take his life. A warrior’s death. A true Samurai.

 

No dishonor, no defeat.

 

Izuna almost felt sorry for these Samurai. To put honor and pride before death, to give up on the most fundamental right and struggle to live when so many were fighting just to survive another day…these samurai were cowards who dared not look at fear in the face.

 

Nonetheless, what was done was done. With that single act, the entire fate of the land was changed with the suicide of Oda Nobunaga. The Uchiha had to act swiftly with the passing of their strongest patron.

 

* * *

 

 

As Izuna and Kazuhiko raced back to convey the groundbreaking news to the Uchiha clan, Izuna’s thoughts were on Oda, the self-inflicted blade on his neck, the vengeful, power-crazed look in Akechi’s eyes, and most of all, the fiery turquoise eyes of that mysterious Senju girl.

 

He had seen turquoise before, it was when the Uchiha clan made their temporary encampment near the ocean. Izuna, who had never seen the ocean, had pestered Kazuhiko and Madara into venturing out of camp to see the great body of water that he had only heard about from the elderly women of the clan.

 

It was like a whole new world, this “ocean”. It was vast, vaster than the eye could see… endless. But what mesmerized Izuna the most was the enchanting gradient of golden sand, aquamarine waters and sapphire waves that melded to form a colorful mosaic of turquoise. When he saw Toka, he saw the ocean, the tranquil waters, the melodious lullaby of crashing waves, and the fearsome tides that crashed through the rocks the same way her bullets sliced through human flesh.

 

“Hey nii-san, who do you think that girl is?”

 

Kazuhiko turned his face slightly to face Izuna, a look of surprise on his face.

 

“I don’t know, otouto, but we cannot let her out of our radar.”

 

A tense silence ensued. Threats were best crushed before they bloomed.

 

Before Izuna could control himself, the words slipped out of his mouth.

 

“She’s really pretty.”

 

Kazuhiko smiled slightly, amused at how the war had not completely robbed his brother of the childlike wonder and innocence he still possessed.

 

But it wouldn’t last, no… this hatred will catch up to them sooner or later…it always did.

 

“I know, otouto. But we all know what our duty is.”

 

With that, Kazuhiko had sealed the conversation and filed it as a conversation to be hidden in the recesses of one’s mind. Izuna, ever the intelligent child, knew better than to say anything more.

 

After all, the shinobi world had no place for witless emotions.

 

* * *

 

** End Notes:  **

I had always felt that Izuna is one of the most fascinating and underrated characters in Naruto - it's a pity that Kishi did not delve further into him and his relationship with Madara. He is described to be harmonic and devoted, yet in the manga we see a more vengeful and ruthless side to him that makes him a very human and nuanced character. 

Toka is also another mysterious character that caught my attention. She's the only kunoichi we have seen in the warring states era aside from Mito, and she was feared for her genjutsu prowess in an era that had Sharingan beasts like Madara and Izuna. And she's Hashirama's advisor. THAT says something. 

 

Character ages are based on the databooks. Izuna was 24 when he died, and Toka's age was listed at 27, making her 3 years his senior. 

 

For some historical background, read on: 

Oda Nobunaga was the first of the three great unifiers of Japan during the warring states period and was known for his ruthlessness. He was eventually succeeded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the latter of which went on to become the sole ruler of Japan and founded the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for 265 years until the Meiji Restoration and modernisation of Japan. 


	2. At the River

 

“Silence!” roared Tajima, sharingan eyes ablaze.

 

Immediately, the cacophony of voices dimmed to a mere murmur as the Uchiha Council glared at their leader in forced subordination. The news of Oda’s death had sent the Council careening into a whirlwind of debates and arguments as to who they should side with – the traitor Akeshi Mitsuhide, or Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a powerful vassal of Oda.

 

“Choosing the right patron is of utmost importance to the clan – our clan’s survival and standing rests greatly upon the success of our patron. Previously, we have prospered greatly from being the loyal shinobi and bodyguards of Oda Nobunaga, but his death has marked a change, a revolution in the political climate of our lands. We cannot blindly follow whoever appears to be the most triumphant victor…”

 

Tajima’s eyes roved over the Council members who were clamoring for the clan to side with Akeshi Mitsuhide. Their juvenile thinking was disgusting and embarrassing. Not only did betrayal and disloyalty repulse Tajima, but anyone with greater foresight could see that Akeshi Mitsuhide would not rise to be as great a warlord as his former lord once was.

 

“I have received news that Hideyoshi has recently been named **_regent_** of the Imperial Court, and even been bequeathed with the name Toyotomi.”

 

This sent shockwaves through the row of Council members as this piece of top secret news was revealed. Tajima smirked at their disbelief and shock. He had once been too. After all, who would have expected a mere commoner with no illustrious family background to rise rapidly through the ranks to be one of Oda’s most trusted aides, and even get himself adopted into the imperial Fujiwara clan? This man was no ordinary warlord. And now he had managed to clinch the highly revered role of regent of the Imperial Court. It was clear where the Uchiha clan’s loyalties were to lie with, and from the expressions on the Council members’ faces, it seemed that they thought so too.

 

Tajima smirked, baring his gleaming white teeth as his lips were pulled into a grim Cheshire smile.

 

“So it is settled, then…Toyotomi Hideyoshi shall be our new patron.”

 

* * *

 

 

Izuna crouched against the bush, eyes trained on the sight of his brother Madara play-wrestling with a boy with slightly tanned skin, wood-colored eyes and hair the same chocolate shade as that of the Senju girl he saw at Honno-Ji.

 

It had been two weeks since that incident, and he could not stop thinking about her – her turquoise eyes and the ocean and its mesmerizing lullaby. It was honestly annoying and distracting him from focusing hard on his daily training. Tajima had noticed the slight change in his concentration and had given him a good beating each time he failed to focus.

 

Izuna subconsciously palmed the bruises on his ribcage, courtesy of Tajima’s harsh trainings and punishments. He watched with disapproval and envy as Madara laughed exuberantly at a bad joke the other boy just made. Madara never laughed or acted with such abandon around him. At home, Madara was always collected and level-headed, always loving to him but never this open, never treating him as an equal. It was always Madara protecting him, worrying about him, coddlying him. If not for the fact that Tajima had ordered Izuna to spy on Madara, he would not have known that his brother was still a child within.

 

However, what irked Izuna the most was the niggling suspicion that this strange boy who called himself “Hashirama”, with his tall stature and bold features, was none other than a Senju. Although Izuna would not go so far as to say his sensory skills were the best, he was a gifted enough sensor to detect the chakra signatures of different clans. And he had battled with enough Senju to recognize their bold chakra anytime. 

 

“I wonder if Nii-san knows,” he wondered.

 

“And if he does, **_why_** does he still keep doing this?”

 

Just as he was about to lodge into a myriad of possible reasons why his brother continued cavorting with the enemy, Izuna felt a familiar chakra at the periphery of the wooden glade he was in.

 

He had felt this chakra repeatedly, many times before when he came down to spy on his brother. It was tiny, barely noticeable, implying that the person was purposely suppressing their chakra to avoid detection. Izuna was only able to pick up on it as he was an innate sensor, considered gifted amongst the sensors of the Uchiha. Said chakra signature was edging closer, ever closer to where he was.

 

Izuna wondered vaguely if the unknown person had detected him previously too. Whoever this person was, he could not take any chances and had to assume the worst. Izuna’s hands moved to his waistband, feeling the comforting touch of a steel kunai, ready to engage at a moment’s notice as the chakra came so close he was sure if he turned his head he would see the possessor of this chakra.

 

Sure enough, when Izuna whipped his head to the right, he was greeted with the sight of a boy around his age with silvery-white hair, pale skin and tilted maroon eyes.

 

Izuna would have been fascinated and curious about this boy’s unusual appearance and red eyes if not for the potentially fatal combat situation he found himself in.

 

The two boys stared at each other, figures tense and ready to strike – each assessing the other carefully and whether they should attack.

 

“Who are you and what do you want?” Izuna demanded lowly, grip tightening on his concealed kunai.

 

The silver-haired boy’s eyes narrowed even more before he replied, “Spying on my brother.”

 

“Me too,” replied Izuna as a moment of realization dawned upon the two young shinobi.

 

“You don’t look anything like brothers,” continued Izuna, still unwilling to let down his guard. For all he knew, this boy was lying. They certainly didn’t look related in any way.

 

A look of annoyance flickered briefly across the other boy’s face.

 

“Well, obviously we don’t look like clones the same way you all Uchiha do.”

 

“Ahh…a Senju, aren’t you?” surmised Izuna.

 

So his sensory skills were right. The boy his brother had been meeting up with was a Senju. What Izuna could not wrap his head around was how this silver-haired boy could be the blood brother Hashirama, with his chocolate hair, tan skin and lively brown eyes.

 

Then he remembered the mysterious Senju girl he saw at Honno-Ji. She had dazzling turquoise eyes, much different from the brown and maroon of these two Senju boys. The Senju clan must be very varied in their looks and genetic make-up, Izuna noted. Very unlike the Uchiha – they mostly kept to themselves and only allowed women from common civilian families to marry in occasionally. This inevitably led to the signature Uchiha looks with raven hair, pale skin and dark eyes.

 

“Tobirama,” offered the silver-haired boy. There was no longer any need to conceal their names or identities now that they knew each other’s clans.

 

“Izuna.”

 

“Izuna,” Tobirama repeated, the name sounding completely foreign as it rolled off his tongue.

 

“What do you propose we do about those two?” Tobirama asked, cocking his head in their older brothers’ direction.

 

Izuna turned back to look at Madara and Hashirama, both were now lying on the grass contentedly beside each other, fingers entwined as they enjoyed the cool afternoon breeze. Ignoring the intimate contact of their hands, Izuna muttered the most reasonable thing that came to mind.

 

“Report them to our fathers. We are Uchiha and Senju after all.”

 

There was a short silence before Tobirama spoke.

 

“It does not please me to do this, but we have our duty. Let us do that.”

 

Izuna allowed himself to give a slight smile as he responded, “Guess all younger brothers are the same everywhere.”

 

Tobirama reciprocated, although his smile was a lot more rigid compared to the gentle one Izuna could pull easily. No one knew it yet, but Izuna was an innate master at putting up performances in situations he deemed fit. Most shinobi only knew how to put on a tough, blank and emotionless façade, but Izuna knew that a blank face was insufficient in achieving your desires. That was how he always got his brothers and other clan members to agree to his demands.

 

With the mutual agreement, both younger brothers departed and left for their separate ways, hearts thumping as they prepared to unveil their older brothers’ escapades with the enemy to their respective fathers.

 

The rest as they say, is history.

 

* * *

 

 

“ _Father, look! Nii-san’s eyes!”_ gasped Izuna excitedly, gesturing towards Madara’s newly awakened Sharingan.

 

Tajima let out a soft morbid chuckle as he said, “We may not have gathered intel on the Senju, but at least we managed to gain something valuable after all.”

 

At that time, all Izuna could see and think about was Madara’s Sharingan and how with this new weapon, Madara will be more powerful and better able to fight in the war. Izuna could not have been happier that day, blooming with brotherly pride and sincerely believing he made the right decision to report Madara to Tajima.

 

What Izuna chose not to see was the broken, empty look in Madara’s eyes as he turned back to face them, or the way Madara became ever more guarded and silent in the days after.

 

It didn’t take long for Izuna to start thinking that perhaps his decision was not the best thing he had done.

 

* * *

 

** End Notes: **

Hehe, I know this is a primarily Izuna/Toka fic, but I couldn't help but throw in a small hint about my head canon that Madara and Hashirama were more than just friends. Those two men were too obsessed with each other to be mere friends. :P 

I promise we will see Toka in the next chapter! And I wrote Izuna as a more innocent, simple boy because he is only 6 years old and has not awakened the Sharingan yet. So no hatred to mess with him as of now! 

 


	3. Sea of Souls

Izuna and Toka meet for the first time in the most unexpected circumstances. Slight elements of Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid.

Characters: Mermaid!Toka, Young Izuna.

* * *

 

It was a cool, silent night when Toka broke through the surface, her swift movement throwing ripples across the moonlit water. Seeing a rock near the shallow waters nearby, she swam over and lifted half her body to rest against it, taking special care not to let her tail be seen out of the water.

It would be extremely dangerous if anyone saw her in her mermaid form. Firstly, no one believed mermaids to be anything more than legends and according to popular myth, eating the flesh of a mermaid could bring you eternal youth. Should she get caught, she knew it would not be long before she found herself cooked and ready to be eaten by some delusional noble who wanted eternal youth.

But Toka couldn't care less about the potential danger right now. From her keen sensory instincts, there was no one around and she just had a very bad day.

The Battle of Yamazaki had ended with Uchiha victory as the Senju sustained humongous losses due to the poorly trained samurai troops Akechi Mitsuhide sent to support them. That traitor who killed his former master Oda had fled, never to be heard from again, leaving the Uchiha and Toyotomi victorious in all the land.

Toka had complained to her uncle Butsuma, the Senju clan leader but he seemed unfazed.

"Our true master is not Akechi Mitsuhide… but someone far stronger and more powerful.  ** _Sometimes we have to lose the battle in order to win the war_**."

Toka had internally scoffed at that. Was her uncle so stupid and blind not to see how powerful Toyotomi was, and how much stronger the Uchiha were with their red demon eyes? Was there something he wasn't telling her?

It was humiliating and torturous to see so many Senju return wounded or dead, the cries of the widows and orphans, and most importantly her brother, Takeshi, was heavily wounded. He had undergone treatment but there was still uncertainty over whether he would survive.

He was the only close family she had left. If he died, what would happen to her?

It was this hurricane of emotions and worry that caused Toka to sneak out of the Senju camp and find solace in the only thing she could think of – the ocean.

The ocean was part of her as much as it was part of her mother's people. To the mermaids, the ocean was a treasure trove of delight, comfort and freedom. It was where she felt truly home.

With the soothing lullaby of the crashing waves, it was not long before Toka unconsciously drifted off to sleep, the last thing she saw being the silvery glow of the moon upon the tranquil waves.

 

* * *

Toka was rudely jolted awake when she felt something sharp pierce through her tail, raking its way down and inciting a cry of pain from her.

Before she knew it, she was being lifted roughly by coarse netting that clung to her face and skin and heard the boisterous, triumphant cries of her attackers.

_"What a lucky day for us, Shin! We got ourselves a little mermaid!"_

Toka could barely make out the outline of the men speaking as they flashed a lamp directly into her face. She snarled viciously as she struggled against the net, trying to free herself.

Toka couldn't believe how unlucky she was – in her mermaid form, she was unable to mold chakra and use any ninjutsu, and now she was caught and going to be sold or eaten or kept as a pet by these uncouth rowdy men.

_"Indeed! I bet she'll fetch a very handsome price…I know of that Lord Fujiwara who keeps gulping those pills to gain eternal life. Perhaps some mermaid flesh would do the trick, eh?"_

At that last sentence, Toka felt a rough, calloused finger brush against her cheek mockingly and she almost bit his finger off when suddenly, she felt a hot, sticky liquid splatter onto her face.

 ** _"Aaargh!"_**  she yelped as she covered her face, hoping it was not some face-deforming acid they splashed onto her.

Her attackers seemed to have lost control of the net as she splashed back into the water.

Her first instinct was to swim away, but she was too stunned and paralyzed to move, and the hook was still wedged painfully into her tail, trapping and anchoring her to the shore.

She heard the anguished cries of men as they seemed to engage in battle with some mysterious intruder.

_"There! There! He's there! What's that?"_

_"No! No, please! I'll do anything! Save me!"_

Willing all her strength to compose herself, Toka cracked her eyes open to see the last attacker standing fall limply to the ground as a flash of silver streaked across his neck.

It was then that Toka realized that the liquid that was splattered on her face earlier was not acid, but blood.

The intruder still held his silver katana out as he tread carefully across the water towards her, grabbing the abandoned lamp along the way.

Toka shrank and pressed herself against the rock.

**_Who is this person? What does he want? Did he kill the rest so he could catch me and profit from me too?_ **

**_Dammit! I'm a shinobi! I'm tough on the battlefield but why am I such a coward now? Dammit Toka, swim, swim away!_ **

She reached out her arm and tried to remove the hook that was keeping her trapped on the shore but the nets that were keeping her in place were strong and restrained her movements so much that she couldn't reach her arm out past her knees to free herself.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."

Toka paused, stunned. This was the voice of a child!

She looked at the intruder as he closed in and noticed that he was indeed small and short in stature and couldn't have been more than her age.

As if he could read her thoughts, he lifted the lamp up to his face to illuminate it for her to see.

Toka was shocked to see a young, handsome face with the chubby cheeks of childhood smiling reassuringly back at her. She couldn't believe it… this boy was younger than her, she was sure! And yet in her fear-induced panic just now she had failed to notice his age as he took out her attackers.

The boy drew close so that he was just beside her and knelt down gingerly. With one hand and quick movement, he lifted the metal hook and cast it aside.

Toka breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the weight lift off her. Blood had run from the wound, but she knew her regenerative ability as a mermaid would heal it in no time.

She barely had time to register anything when she heard a snip and felt the weight of the netting fall from her too.

Looking up at her savior, she asked, "Why?"

The boy merely smiled. "I don't know, I guess I just wanted to play the hero."

He glanced at her wound and his eyes widened as he saw that it was completely healed.

Noting the surprise, Toka explained, "We mermaids have one of the best regenerative abilities in this world. That was nothing."

"I see," commented the boy, a look of intrigue and wonder passing across his face, "I hope you are all right and not too startled, nee-san. Is there any way I can help you?"

Toka blushed in embarrassment.

"Yes, actually. I have left my clothes on the rock over there. Could you please get them for me?"

The boy's eyes scanned the area as he asked, "Mermaids have clothes?"

"No…I am human, but I can transform into a mermaid," replied Toka, finding it hard to express the concept of a human-mermaid to him.

The boy simply nodded before he leapt away in the direction of her clothes and came back with them.

As he held her clothes out to her, Toka offered him a grateful smile, "I'm Toka. What's your name?"

She pulled herself up onto the rock she had fallen asleep on and willed her tail to disappear.

The words were stuck in the boy's throat as his eyes widened to see Toka's tail transform into a pair of long, slim legs.

First, the tail shrunk away and then the golden, amber scales faded into the canvas of Toka's pale skin as her tail took on the form of legs.

She giggled slightly at his response, and he looked at her, wonder and awe etched onto his face.

"Izuna, my name is Izuna."

"Weasel? That's too weak a name for someone like you. You fought so bravely just now, you against five grown men, and you saved me. Thank you," said Toka, hoping her gratefulness was conveyed through her praise and smile.

Indeed it was as Izuna blushed and smiled sheepishly back, "Thank you for your praise, Toka nee-san. As for my name, I think my family just has weird naming traditions."

Laughter bubbled in Toka's throat and she had to resist the urge to laugh.

This boy was nothing short of adorable. It was not everyday she came across such a young, capable shinobi with a cherubic face and such inculcated politeness and kind consideration for others. The way he addressed her as "nee-san" was so natural and respectful that it was hard to reconcile this seemingly meek boy to the one who slaughtered five grown men in a matter of seconds.

Damn, even Hashirama and Tobirama never addressed her with such deference and respect despite her being their senior and heiress of the clan.

"I'm merely speaking the truth, Izuna. You are my savior today!" Toka smiled cheerfully as she put on her clothes, amused to see Izuna turn his eyes away respectfully to the side.

"In return, is there anything that you want? I'll do everything in my best ability to give it to you!"

Izuna merely bit his bottom lip in thought before he said, "I want to know about you. Why you can change into a mermaid!"

Now it was Toka's turn to feel a little anxious. Sure, mermaids were rare but if word got out that mermaids do exist then that might spell trouble for her and for her fellow mermaids.

But seeing as how she owed a life debt to this boy, she had no choice but to let him in on some secrets, some of which she had never told anybody.

* * *

She began by explaining how she could transform into a mermaid. Her mother was a mermaid princess who had always been curious about the human world, and always visited different shores to see how humans in different areas lived their lives. But she kept herself hidden to avoid being caught and exposed to humans, whom her father said were barbarians who would kill her if they had the chance.

Then one fine day, she came to one shore and saw the most handsome man she ever laid eyes on, Toka's father Seiji. She broke all laws and made herself known to him by singing. Seiji, hearing such a beautiful voice, found Toka's mother by the rocks. As they got to know each other over time at that same shore, they fell in love and Toka's mother eventually stole a potion from her father's palace that transformed her into a human so that she could marry Seiji and live with him.

As she recounted her parents' story, she noticed the look of amazement and childlike imagination on Izuna's face and smiled. She, too, had once been like that. Who wouldn't want such a fairytale love story?

But her parents were no fairytale love story. The continuous strife and battle of the human world was something the former mermaid could never get used to, and she became increasingly disillusioned with what was once a fascinating unknown world. To make matters worse, Seiji died in a battle against the Uchiha when she and Takeshi were only three, and Toka's mother was left to mourn him. In fact, she was so heartbroken that she fled to the shore where she first met Seiji, transformed into sea foam out of grief and was never to be heard from again.

Since then, Toka discovered her ability to transform into a mermaid and human at will, being a child of both land and sea.

Toka felt a little jab of pain as she recalled this sad memory. Only she knew that this shore was the exact same shore her parents had met years ago, and as she looked at Izuna, she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever fall in love with him and if their love story would end tragically the same way her parents' did.

It couldn't be mere coincidence that he saved her on this same shore her parents met. Was it fate that they met or a mere fleeting meeting?

"That's an amazing story," said Izuna when she finished telling her story.

"Thank you, Izuna. It's late now, and I must be on my way or my uncle will crack his head searching the entire place for me."

Izuna's face fell visibly, sad that she had to leave.

Feeling bad, Toka dug into her pockets and removed a huge Mother-of-Pearl and handed it to Izuna. She had found this gem while scouring through the ocean for some valuable pearls. Butsuma often sent her on such missions to earn an alternative source of revenue for the Senju clan. She secretly kept this one as she knew it was a unique, rare pearl with its swirling myriad of colors.

Izuna gasped when he saw the pearl, eyes glimmering with wonderment and awe as he examined how the colors melded into each other and changed according to the light. He had never seen such a thing before.

Toka then leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush furiously.

"This is a thank you present from me to you. Keep it safe, it's very valuable and I hope you think of me each time you see it."

Izuna nodded, and she almost shrunk into herself when the boy looked at her with dark, onyx eyes, gleaming with longing, sadness and the start of something she did not want to see.

"Will I be able to see you again, Toka nee-san?"

Toka smiled, betraying the flurry of thoughts running through her mind at the moment.

**_No, it's best we never meet again. You don't want to fall in love with me, neither do I want to end up like my mother. Just keep the pearl and forget me like any sweet dream that passes you by, giving you that mere momentary joy._ **

Toka considered using genjutsu to trick Izuna into believing it was all just a dream, but judging from his performance earlier, he most likely was trained in it and could expel it easily. That would leave for a very awkward moment and explanation.

"If fate allows us, we will meet again Izuna. Good luck."

That was all the goodbye she said before Toka gathered chakra to her feet and leapt away, charging more chakra to them to propel her faster  ** _away_**  from him and his gaze. It was too close for comfort and she had gotten more than she had expected when she first decided to wander out of the Senju camp.

* * *

Izuna watched as Toka left, feeling whatever hope he initially felt being sunk as far back into the depths of the sea as she departed so briskly. There was no intention of meeting again, no desire to see him or to get to know him more.

On one hand, he couldn't blame her. She was a shinobi by training, and they were taught never to let emotions govern their heart and actions. She probably didn't trust him, and rightfully so, if she had known that he is from an enemy clan.

Izuna sighed. Despite it all, he still could not keep his emotions in check as much as Tajima and Kazuhiko kept drilling it into him. That was why he had abandoned his night patrol post to come to her rescue, unable to bear the thought of her being sold and killed. It was times like these that Izuna wished he could completely cut off his emotions and transform into the exact purpose he was fashioned for – a human weapon that killed and hurt, never inflicting harm upon oneself.

He stared back again at the gleaming pearl in his hand, the only physical evidence that anything happened between them. Her smile, her voice as she recounted her story, her kiss could only just have been a dream.

Was this what Madara nii-san felt like, when he had to severe all ties with Hashirama? That it only just a dream? A figment of your imagination that is best left forgotten?

Izuna felt a slight and painful tug within his chest, but it did not hurt as much as the fact that throughout the entire ordeal, even after she his show of kindness…

She did not even once look back.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Was watching  _Pirates of the Caribbean:On Stranger Tides_  and saw those carnivorous mermaids and thought their siren-like charms and danger suited Toka well, so why not make her a mermaid? After all, the Senju Clan seems to have a strong affinity with water and nature itself. Hashirama has the trees and the woods, Tobirama is the Poseidon of Water, so Toka can be the Siren.


	4. Virgin Thorn

**Warnings:**  Underage rape, non-consensual sex

* * *

After that night, Izuna went into each battle the Uchiha fought with the Senju expectantly, hoping to see Toka again but surprisingly, he never did. It was strange, considering how she was a very capable kunoichi and it would be a waste not to utilize her talents on the battlefield.

Instead of seeing her beautiful face, he was constantly battling Tobirama for their lives. Both were evenly matched and cunning, and always ended at an impasse at the end of each fight.

It was frustrating, to say the least.

The battles between the Uchiha and Senju were becoming increasingly frequent and heated. Things had changed dramatically since the Battle of Yamazaki when Akechi Mitsuhide was defeated and Izuna saved Toka from imminent death.

It turned out that the Senju's patron was none other than Tokugawa Ieyasu, a former ally of Oda and a warlord who had the brilliance and military might to stand up to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Uchiha clan's patron.

But perhaps the greatest change Izuna noted in the two years since Yamazaki was Madara.

His brother had always been a fearless and ruthless shinobi on the battlefield. However, increasingly as he clashed with Senju Hashirama, Madara's chakra started becoming increasingly cold and vicious – so much so that each time he fired up his chakra in preparation for battle, his opponents and even some Uchiha clan members would tremble from the sheer menacing force of it.

It wasn't normal.

Where Madara used to battle for the survival of his clan, now he possessed a bloodlust that consumed all he clashed with, starting with Hashirama.

Indeed, it was with Hashirama that his bloodlust and cold chakra was evident for all to see. The way he viciously hacked at the Senju with blinding speed and ferocity, the way he released a surge of powerful flames at him was like seeing a madman on the loose.

Hashirama himself seemed overwhelmed at times, even though he could hold his ground very well against Madara, churning up wooden walls and waterfalls that could defend against Madara's attacks.

Confused and worried, Izuna consulted Kazuhiko about Madara.

Kazuhiko had only smiled grimly as he said the very words Izuna would always remember for the rest of his life.

_" **When a man learns to love, he must also bear the risk of hate**. It's a curse that has been following us since the times of our ancestor Indra." _

Even at that young age, Izuna understood. He had seen and experienced how the eyes of his brethren would transform into crimson gazes of hate as they vowed to avenge their fallen loved ones. It was just that Madara seemed to suffer from a more extreme version of it.

As for Indra, every Uchiha knew him as their honorable ancestor of the Uchiha clan – the originator of the Sharingan and from whom they claimed divine ancestry from. Kazuhiko used to tell Madara and Izuna bedtime stories of Indra's valiant battles and how he could slice mountains apart with a single jutsu called Susanoo, and how his birthright was willfully stolen by his younger brother Ashura.

 _"1000 years have passed, but we will not stop till we have subjugated and destroyed the Senju. They and their ancestor Ashura stole our rightful place on earth, and for that, they will be punished."_  Tajima used to say.

Sure, Izuna didn't like the Senju for all the wrongs they did towards his clan, and some part of him wanted to defeat them as well, but his will would always falter whenever Toka's face swam into his mind's view.

He hadn't seen her for two years, and despite his attempts to compartmentalize his feelings and forget her, she was always there, haunting his subconscious thoughts and dreams. He would always dream of her there by the shore, luscious brown hair free from the top knot she wore at Honno-Ji and her pale skin glowing in the cold moonlight. Her tail would gleam like gold against the dark blue ocean waves, and her eyes in their mesmerizing shades of aquamarine would look at him as a sweet smile caressed her lips.

She was as beautiful and captivating as the ocean, the image of her forever etched into the back of his mind.

Where had she been those two years since they met? She couldn't have been killed in battle could she? That was near impossible – with her skill she could take on any grown shinobi.

Little did Izuna know that the Senju clan were training Toka for a battle far removed from the bloodied, violent wastelands he was accustomed to. It was a battle behind closed doors, where your enemies were not obvious from the clan symbols emblazoned on their armor, where the only killing and slashing was done in secret, through hushed whispers and subtle manipulations.

The Senju had their eye on a greater battle – the imperial court.

* * *

 **"This is it, this is what I've been prepared for the past two years",**  thought Toka, her mind racing as she felt a smooth hand brush her hair gently, almost lovingly.

She allowed herself to lift her eyes to look at Oda Nobukatsu, the second son of Oda Nobunaga. He was about twenty-five years old, and had a muscular, strong build as befitting a samurai warrior and he held a prideful, entitled look as all samurai do.

Two years just for this semi-finale. Two years of gathering intelligence under the guise as a servant in the imperial court and getting into the good books of the Oda clan. Two years going under the fake name of "Akemi." Two years of helping her Senju infiltrators to feed Nobukatsu with distorted facts that led him to believe Toyotomi Hideyoshi was merely using him to garner more power, and to side with the Senju and their patron, Tokugawa Ieyasu.

No, this pawn was not fully convinced to join Tokugawa Ieyasu yet. He wanted something before he made the final decision, and that was why Toka was here, sitting beside him in an emerald green silk dress.

_"I've been with many women in my life, but never have I seen such a rare, exquisite beauty like you, Akemi."_

Nobukatsu's hand drifted to stroke her rosy cheeks, still plump with childhood,  _"And at such a young age, too. I wonder what an even more ravishing beauty you'll grow up to be in the future."_

At this, his eyes glazed over in a mixture of anticipation and want.

He tilted Toka's head gently so that he was looking intently into her eyes, mesmerized by the brilliance and soulfulness of her aquamarine optics.

_"It will be a great pleasure if I could teach you some of the more…intricate tactics of the court, Akemi. You will appreciate my lessons as you continue serving the Imperial Court."_

His breath was hot on her lips, and Toka had to resist the urge to pull away – she didn't like being handled like this, like a toy.

Nobukatsu wasted no time in capturing Toka's mouth with his, his tongue brushing hungrily across her sweet pink lips. She tasted like cherry blossoms in spring. He moaned in desire – this child was only eleven, but her soft and plump lips and beauty were enough to make him forget her age. He wanted her and wouldn't stop until he had claimed her.

His tongue parted her lips aggressively, pleased to see that she didn't bother putting up any resistance, and his hands roved around her petite figure, finding their hold on her smooth, creamy legs beneath the thin robes.

He stroked her svelte, slim legs, slowly inching closer to her inner thigh where he knew she would be the most sensitive. As his fingers brushed lightly across the tender skin there, Toka jolted slightly, alarmed by the tingling sensations that ran through her as he touched her there.

When Toka first accepted this mission, she thought that she was only going to perform a dance for Nobukatsu – that was what Butsuma told her. What she didn't expect was to be touched all over, in every intimate place possible, and even though she didn't like it, she knew she had no choice but to comply and endure till the end.

She let out a gasp of surprise when she felt Nobukatsu's thumb rubbing against her clit and one of his fingers enter her forcefully. She broke away from the kiss and tried to close her legs and shift away but the older samurai was too strong and kept her legs apart and her body pinned to the ground as he hovered over her. She stared back at him, her eyes barely able to conceal her fear and horror at this outrage of her modesty.

_"Don't be scared, my pretty. It will all be over soon, and after this_ _**, you will thank me** _ _for one of the most important lessons in life you will ever learn as a woman…"_

Nobukatsu smirked, his grin an almost mocking one as his eyes filled with desire and want. With one hand he removed his soft cotton pants to reveal his large engorged member, throbbing with anticipation for the upcoming treat.

Toka almost balked from shock and disgust, her stomach churning and she felt like she could puke at any moment. She had seen male penises before, but they were always in a non-sexual situation, like when she took mass baths with the male warriors of her clan or with her brother. They were limp and flaccid, only about a few inches in length and seemingly harmless. But this man's one was incredibly long and thick in circumference, and dripping slightly with some transparent liquid. Was this what the Senju clan women meant when they said men's penises transform when they were aroused?

Toka tried to shift back away again only for her knees to be locked firmly in Nobukatsu's grip as he positioned the tip of his throbbing arousal at her entrance.

"Please, Nobukatsu-sama, please don't do this…" she begged, horrified and unsure of what was going to happen next.

Her words went unheeded as Nobukatsu drove his cock forcefully into her, tearing through her hymen and eliciting a cry of pain from her. Toka had barely any time to recover from the shock and pain of it all before Nobukatsu started ramming into her mercilessly, grunting in pleasure as he felt her virgin tightness and warmth clamp around his throbbing member.

The rest was all a blur for Toka as she tried to make sense of what was going on and how she was being penetrated by a man and the excruciating pain of it all. The next thing she knew, Nobukatsu gave a hefty grunt as he released and landed on top of her, his body weight almost crushing the life out of her tiny body.

After Nobukatsu got up and started dressing himself, it took all of Toka's courage and strength to sit up, her entire frame shaking from trauma and shock as she looked down upon her body.

White, sticky liquid was leaking out of her and she could make out her blood stains on the tatami mat. She tried standing up, legs shaking and her lower parts hurt like they have been burnt with a red hot iron as she dressed herself back in her discarded emerald green robes, the only thing left to protect her and save whatever modesty she had left.

Nobukatsu came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her slim waist and breathing softly into her ear. Toka's first instinct as a shinobi would have been to turn round and gut him but the trauma of her first sexual experience was so strong her instincts and mind had gone numb and she could only stare remorsefully into the bronze mirror in front of her – at the brokenness of her expression and the cooing triumph and pleasure on Nobukatsu's face as he held her close.

" _You were wonderful today, my little beauty. I will be sending Tokugawa a letter to confirm my standing with him…till then you can take a little rest back in your quarters,_ " came Nobukatsu's raspy voice, the desire of his latest orgasm lacing his words like poison to Toka's ears.

That was all it took for Toka to bow and leave the room as quickly as her legs could carry her, her entire mind a messed up blur as her heart broke for the last vestiges of her innocence lost. Tears welled up in her eyes as a slow, boiling anger and hatred bubbled to the surface.

Hatred for the war, hatred for the court and hatred for the Senju for placing her most intimate innocence on the altar as sacrifice "for the greater good". It was then that Toka fully understood the meaning of war. It was not so much the killing and the fighting on the battlefield as much as it was the internal war in the courts, in human minds, hearts and most importantly, with herself.

She didn't know how, but she will need all the help she can get to go through her life with dignity after what just happened.

* * *

**End Notes:**

I'm so sorry for doing this to Toka, but in the past where concubines and marriages at ages as young as ten were the norm, things like that were not seen as particularly outrageous. And I imagine part of the work kunoichi in the past did also involved some sexual favours - sometimes that was the only way to get things done or obtain information. Just like killing on the battlefield was part of shinobi work, Toka also has to learn that there are more ways than one to win a war and battle. Thus my inclusion of this part. 


	5. Sharingan Awakening

An 8 year old Izuna awakens his Sharingan

 **Characters:**  Izuna, Tobirama, Toka, Takeshi, Kazuhiko (the last two are OC)

* * *

**1584, Nagakute**

It wasn't long before Izuna saw her again.

There she was, streaking like a wild amazon across the battlefield as her water jutsus enveloped her enemies in a churning ocean that drowned them and extinguished fires.

She hadn't noticed him, and it was a pity he couldn't call out to her, given the knowledge that they belonged to opposing clans with a long history of bloodshed and hatred.

He willed his concentration back to his opponents, Tobirama and a Senju shinobi around Toka's age with golden blonde hair and azure blue eyes. He and Kazuhiko have been having some trouble with them for some time, he had a very unique Kekkei Genkai – Ice Release. For the past hour Kazuhiko and Izuna have been battling hard against the two Senju shinobi, trying to avoid the blindingly fast ice spears and pikes that have been hurled their way and attempting to counter Tobirama's water attacks with their own fire jutsu. All they had to show for it so far was drenched clothing that threatened to slow down their movements, and Izuna was becoming very impatient and angry.

_Damn those Senju and their ability to manipulate the elements._

Kazuhiko breathed in hard as he gathered chakra up to his chest and released the largest torrent of fire Izuna had ever seen, cackling at breakneck speed towards the Senju.

What happened next was a blur to Izuna when he saw a gleaming silver ice spear tear its way past the flame and hurtled towards Kazuhiko and drove its way through his entire body so that it effectively impaled him.

It was as if time slowed down and everything happened in slow motion as Izuna saw Kazuhiko cough out blood, hands grabbing the spear and crimson eyes staring in shock at the blonde shinobi who was in mid-air, katana raised to deliver the final blow.

Pain, excruciating pain was all Izuna felt as something hot burned at the back of his head, and his heart was thumping so heart it reverberated throughout his head and deafened his ears. Suddenly, the world burst into color and the faces of both Kazuhiko and his enemies disappeared, only to be replaced by faint blue outlines and extensive networks of electric blue veins that uncoiled themselves around the core centre of their bodies.

It was as if an invisible force propelled Izuna into the air as he clashed swords with the blonde shinobi, rage and hurt causing him to tremble and utter the most bloodcurdling scream he never thought himself capable of possessing.

* * *

Toka turned in the direction of the most chilling scream she had ever heard, wondering what on earth could have uttered such a dreadful sound and was shocked by what she saw.

There he was, the boy who had saved her life, exchanging blows with her brother Takeshi while Tobirama avoided a kunai thrown in his direction by a Uchiha shinobi who had decided to intervene in the battle.

Her eyes roved swiftly to the body of a teenage Uchiha warrior lying motionless on the ground near Izuna, impaled by her brother's signature ice spears and dark eyes staring unblinkingly up at the rose-hued sky. He must have been a prominent person amongst the Uchiha for his death to elicit more Uchiha shinobi forward to take on her brother and cousin.

A huge spark of chakra got her attention to shift back to Izuna, and her heart almost dropped when she saw his crimson Sharingan eyes, blazing with fire and the promise of brimstone hell upon his enemies as he attacked Takeshi with a ferocity that seemed too huge and violent for someone as young and small as he was. The worst was his chakra – it was laced with something malicious which she couldn't put her finger to, but it was enough to send slight chills down her spine and her gut instinct told her that she had better intervene if she wanted her brother alive.

Without a moment's hesitation, Toka leapt in her brother's direction, determined to stop this madness and save Takeshi, concern building up as she saw more Uchiha shinobi surrounding Takeshi and Tobirama.

 _Not good, not good_ …she thought, determination set on her face.

Gathering chakra to her fingertips she unleashed a torrent of water bullets towards the encroaching Uchiha shinobi, slicing through their flesh – some incapacitating and some fatal. She smirked internally, she had worked hard to invent this technique to be so fast and near invisible that only capable Uchiha shinobi would be able to detect and avoid them in time. It had been a merciful execution as well, for the artisans she helped Akechi Mitsuhide dispose of two years ago at Honno-Ji.

She was just in time to see Izuna about to strike Takeshi at a potentially fatal spot and threw a kunai that managed to hit Izuna's katana out of his grip, causing it to spin and land some distance away.

Both Takeshi and Izuna paused briefly, eyes settling on Toka as she landed beside Takeshi, eyes blazingly bright and staring unblinkingly at Izuna.

Izuna recognized the colour of that chakra well. He knew it was Toka even without seeing the fullness of her face as he would have in normal vision. However, unlike previous times where he felt hope and happiness in seeing her, her presence merely fanned the flames of his anger and hatred further as the traumatizing loss of Kazuhiko wove a thick rope of blood between them. He could almost see it, the blood flowing from Kazuhiko's wound staining her hands, her eyes, and the Senju symbol on her armour.

 _"You…"_  he whispered, voice filled with tremulous rage, and Toka had to ignore the killing intent that rolled off his small body in poisonous waves.

Toka stared fearlessly back at him, seemingly unfazed by the drastic change in his demeanour and attitude towards her.

 ** _Poor thing, to be corrupted so young by such an intense hatred_**. The demon eyes of him and his clan was something she couldn't ignore…not only were they as red as the blood that dyed the battlefields, they held a perturbing clarity and purpose in destruction and the hubris of hatred. Something about their gaze was different from those she saw on enemies from other clans, and she found a part of herself seeing him exactly how she saw his family – monsters and demons.

But perhaps a greater part of her felt sadness and loss – of the bond and feelings they previously shared. No matter how fleeting, but she knew the feelings were genuine and special, something that only came once or a few times in a lifetime. Things were indeed too good to be true, and she was right in not getting her hopes up. She hadn't expected her savior at the shore two years ago to be an Uchiha, or even that two years later he would hate her for the death of his brother and seek to kill her just like her brother did to his. An eye for an eye, this is what the cycle of hatred was about – destroying love in order to protect love.

While Izuna and Takeshi were busy staring at her, she removed and threw a smoke bomb in front of her and grabbed Takeshi before she shunshin-ed them away from Izuna, as way back to the backlines of war to avoid him chasing after them. That was enough drama for one day, and she was relieved to finally hear the war horns sound to mark the end of the day's battle as Takeshi leaned lightly into her touch, comforted by her presence.

* * *

That evening, Izuna watched as Tajima personally set fire to Kazuhiko's funeral pyre. The funeral pyres were usually lit by whoever set it up to ensure efficiency while providing dignity to the dead. However, this case was different.

Kazuhiko was the heir to the Uchiha clan, being the firstborn son of Tajima. With his loss came a drop in the Uchiha clan's morale as they lost a potential leader. As the flames consumed the pyre and lit up the evening sky, Izuna clung to Madara, his only remaining brother left, tears flowing silently down his cheeks.

Although many in the future believed Madara to be the closest brother to Izuna, the truth was Kazuhiko was the brother Izuna held the most dear. While Tajima tried to spend time with his sons whenever he could, as a clan leader, he was often busy and Kazuhiko would always accompany Izuna to train and do household chores, even teaching him to read and write. In many ways, Kazuhiko was Izuna's surrogate father, nurturing and disciplining both Izuna and Madara to the best of his ability. With him gone, Izuna could not begin to imagine how empty and lonely he would feel with Kazuhiko gone from his life. The beauty of the mundane daily things was no longer a given, but a treasured memory.

Madara stroked Izuna's head in comfort, his eyes trained on the pyre and as Izuna looked at him, he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility being placed upon both him and Madara – the only two children of Tajima left. Both with promise, both with the duty and ability to lead the clan forward in these violent and turbulent times.

It was a burden no child should have to bear, but in the warring states, there was no room for children and Izuna knew he had lost whatever vestige of childhood he had with the awakening of his Sharingan. In its place was a power that was meant to destroy, subjugate and control – a weapon to protect what was important to him and the clan. The last few tears Izuna wept was not so much for Kazuhiko as much for himself.

* * *

**End Notes:**

And voila! Here begins the Curse of Hatred, and Izuna experiences it first hand for himself, so his feelings for Toka are slowly being corrupted and he begins to understand the fine line between love and hatred. I also decided to give Takeshi, Toka's brother the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai as I have a head canon that the Senju clan were masters of elemental ninjutsu, if Hashirama and Tobirama (and Naruto?) are anything to go by.

This ties in well with how Hashirama and Naruto can both attain their own Sage Mode.


	6. Disguise

Toka/Mariko infiltrates the Uchiha base camp. 

**Characters** : Madara, Izuna, Toka/Mariko

* * *

**6 Years Later**

Toka stared at the fallen Uchiha kunoichi she just killed – whatever twinge of guilt at taking the life of a younger girl cast aside as she focused her chakra to perform the  _henge no jutsu_ , all the while soaking in every detail of the girl's face and committing them to memory. Flipping out her mirror, Toka stared at her reflection, pleased to see that she had transformed into a perfect replica of the female Uchiha.

"Perfect…" she purred, testing out her voice.

It was spot on – exactly as how the kunoichi sounded as she issued death threats to Toka when they were battling a mere five minutes ago. Funny how much courage such a young girl had considering that she was up against a much older, seventeen year old kunoichi like Toka herself.

Pushing the sympathetic and guilty thoughts that surfaced to one side was a practiced skill Toka had honed over time and she wasted no time in stripping the signature Uchiha clothes off the girl, taking great care to avert her eyes from any private areas. She had to work fast in case any Uchiha came along – she had purposely lured the girl to a place away from the main battlefield for this very important mission. She could not screw it up.

As she dressed herself in the dark indigo robes, Toka thought about how most Uchiha battled without any protective armor that the Senju usually wore to battle. Toka knew it was because the Uchiha were naturally light and quick fighters, and battle armour would slow their movements, and from all the clans the Senju had battled, it was common knowledge that the Uchiha were in a class of their own when it came to speed, which made them particularly deadly enemies on the battlefield. Without the weight of her Senju armour, it was easy to see why – she felt so light, free, and yet abnormally exposed.

Toka wasted no time in using an earth jutsu to bore a hole in the ground and placed the female Uchiha's body into it before sealing it up again. She lifted her hand up, fists clenched as a signal and saw Tobirama's lithe figure jump out from the trees as he approached her, his sword slung across his shoulders. At the age of fifteen, Tobirama was starting to show the tall stature the Senju were known for. If Toka were to guess, he was probably about 5 foot 9, which made him the same height as her.

"I almost had to resist the urge to attack you, Toka," Tobirama complimented in his usual dry tone as he picked up her discarded Senju armour to transport it back to camp.

"The name's Mariko, you dolt. Now if you'll excuse me I have some showing to do," smirked Toka.

Tobirama grabbed her by the elbow and spun her forcefully around, urgency and concern reflected in his maroon eyes as he gazed at her transformed face.

"Tobirama, what…" she started but stopped immediately when she felt something hard and stony being slipped into her hand.

"Give it a good whistle, and help will come when you need it," said Tobirama, "I'm not letting you take that huge a risk all on your own, especially when it concerns the Uchiha."

Toka smiled, gratitude and warmth spreading across her chest. Somehow, knowing that Tobirama had her back made her upcoming mission all the more less scary and threatening. Reaching out a hand, she gently caressed her cousin's face and lay a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, Tobi. Watch out for my signal. I won't be gone more than two days."

With that parting, Toka leapt in a chakra-assisted bound towards the raging battlefield, leaving Tobirama staring after her, fear causing various unwanted scenarios playing in his head about Toka's fate should she be discovered by the Uchiha in their home ground.

**_Whatever on earth was his father thinking?_ **

* * *

It was evening by the time the Uchiha reached their base camp, the able-bodied ones dragging their wounded and the dead. Toka, or rather, Mariko as she was known now, was propping up a shinobi named Takuma as he wheezed painfully from his leg that had gotten snapped during the battle. The long march back was quiet and solemn as the entire battalion made their way across the land with Tajima and two other high-ranking generals leading the pack.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Madara and Izuna – the younger one carrying a wounded and presumably high-ranking general by the looks of his clothing and the older pulling along a cart of the fresh corpses of the fallen. There was a hard and impassive look on the siblings' faces, and despite being young teenagers, their cheeks and eyes held no such inkling of their youth.

It has been six years since she first encountered the Uchiha siblings, and the passing of time had only proven to Toka that these two were destined to be great warriors. There was no way in hell they would be defeated so easily, and she knew a survivor when she saw one. In a profession as bloody as theirs, one developed a keen instinct on who would live past adolescence and who wouldn't. She could see it already happening on the battlefield, how Madara and Hashirama and Tobirama and Izuna would always clash, like two fireflies drawn to each other's flame in a battle to death. It was always a nerve-wrecking experience each time they battled the Uchiha – the two pairs were so evenly matched Toka had no idea if she was ever going to see her cousins alive the next battle.

The slowing down of the battalion signaled their arrival at the base camp and Toka lifted her tired eyes and felt her heart plummet down her stomach. The stone walls of the Uchiha camp were as high as the raging ocean waves during a storm, throwing a ghastly shadow over the oncoming shinobi as they neared the gate. This was it, past the gate and her fate was sealed if she failed her mission.

It was the kind of fear that gripped at your heart and mind and filled your senses with alarm, the kind that filled you with so much dread that it sent a poison that immobilized you from feeling anything. Because if Toka were to let the floodgates of her fear loose, she had no doubt her heart would stop beating out of pure terror. Infiltrating the enemy base under a jutsu that a skilled Sharingan user could see through was not the most fool-proof of plans, but that was the best shot the Senju had in acquiring information on the Uchiha and Toyotomi's battle plans.

* * *

One evening at the Uchiha base camp had allowed Toka to learn a few things. First, the Uchiha were a way more disciplined and quiet lot as compared to the rowdier Senju. Second, the living quarters of the Uchiha were located in the centre of the base camp, with the medical and weaponry tents along the ridges of the living quarters just beside the stone walls. Third and most importantly, she had  ** _no idea_**  where the scroll collections or library of the Uchiha clan was located.

Toka frowned. By logic, the scrolls were most likely in the battle tents set up along the walls, since that was where the Clan Head and generals discussed military strategies, but a small peek into the tent after she made a visit to the medical tents had proven otherwise. That only meant one thing – that the Uchiha had a special library or scroll room where they kept important documents. A smart strategy of keeping secrets, even from their own clansmen. The question was – where was it?

"Mariko, look at you sulking away like that! A girl like you shouldn't be marring that pretty face of yours with that frown," teased Ayaka as she drew close to Toka, stroking her midnight blue hair lovingly.

Ayaka was Mariko's mother, as Toka found out. She was a beautiful woman with the classic Uchiha features – pale skin, long and dark lustrous hair and that distinct patrician face that only the Uchiha seemed capable of bearing with such regality.

"I'm sorry, Kaa-san. I was just thinking about the battle today," Toka murmured, hoping Mariko usually responded this way to her mother's teasing.

Apparently she did.

Ayaka sighed in that tender way that only mothers could, and Toka felt a lurch in the pit of her stomach as a brief vision of her mother's face flashed across her memory.

"I understand, Mariko…it's unfortunate that you have to be born in a time like this, but we must do all we can to protect those we love. I'm just so grateful and happy that you're alive and well," smiled Ayaka as she pulled Toka into a warm embrace.

**_Thump_**. There it was, that twisted feeling of guilt that gnawed dully at Toka as the irony of Ayaka's words hit her. How would this woman feel, knowing that her daughter was dead and buried naked in the ground whilst her murderer was there posing as her dead daughter and receiving her love and affection?

**_She'd kill me without a moment's thought. Her daughter's murderer._ **

The most twisted and wicked part was that for a moment, Toka indulged herself and made believe that she really was Mariko – that she had a mother who was alive and well and who loved her and showed her such love and affection that her biological mother could never give her.

Toka internally clucked at herself.  ** _What would the Senju think? Me living a vicarious life and receiving love from an enemy, what a cruel irony. And on a mission, too._**

Toka pulled away and looked solemnly into Ayaka's eyes. "I want to become stronger, Kaa-chan, and training can only do so much… I need more…"

Ayaka stared at her daughter, shock and sadness reflected in her dark ebony eyes as she apprehended her daughter closely – this was unusual behavior from her daughter. Usually she was content with her training progress and reasonable competence on the battlefield…what was wrong with her?

Sensing Ayaka's inertia, Toka pulled her into a hug again, "Please kaa-chan! I've been putting up with it for so long, I can't continue like this anymore! There must be another way, like reading some old scrolls for advice or new jutsus, anything to help me protect our clan!"

There was a muted silence, and Toka didn't know whether it was because Ayaka was becoming suspicious or emotionally persuaded. Her heart kept thumping at a furious rate, hoping against hope that her tactic worked – after all, people change after each battle, don't they? And she was using one of the most potent weapons in a kunoichi's arsenal - emotional manipulation.

She felt Ayaka pull her away and cup her face in her hands, and Toka looked up to see Ayaka's soft eyes staring back at her. Apparently she had mistaken Toka's tears of fear for tears of desperation and sadness.

"Listen, Mariko. There is the Uchiha scroll collection where all important documents are kept – from jutsus to clan correspondences to political agreements. It is located at the furthest room of the eastern part of the quarters. Many people think it's Elder Cho's room, but it's not."

Ayaka licked her lips, nervous, as she continued, "However, they are only accessible to those from the Head family. I only know about this because Lady Mizuki is my cousin. Even though we are not the Head family, but we have close enough ties with them, so I can ask Mizuki to grant you access to the library tomorrow evening, if you'd like."

Toka smiled through shed tears, "Thank you kaa-chan! I'll be so grateful!"

Ayaka smiled and ruffled her hair affectionately, a mischievous smile lighting up her face, "Ah hah…but in order to earn that you'll have to do your duties tonight! Go and find Misaki in the kitchen, I promised her that you'll help with the kitchen duties this month!"

"Yes, kaa-chan!" chirped Toka, excitement blooming through her chest as she celebrated her victory in attaining the true location of the documents she sought.

* * *

"What?!" gasped Toka in shock as Misaki handed a tray of dinner dishes and soup to her.

"Yes, Mariko-chan! Don't look so shocked, you've been doing this for the past two weeks, and from what I've seen so far, you really enjoy it. Madara and Izuna sama are such handsome and fine men!" smirked Misaki as she went back to scooping more soup into the bowls on the table.

This was a bad situation. She, as Mariko, was to deliver dinner personally to Madara and Izuna, and "she" had been doing it for two weeks.

**_How on earth am I supposed to know how food is served in the Uchiha clan?! What if they're as icky as the Hyuga about traditions and poise? This may expose me and I'll be dead even before my mission is accomplished!_ **

Even worse, she knew that despite being a very capable and powerful kunoichi she would not last even a minute against the two Uchiha prodigies.

Things couldn't have been worse.

Toka had to control herself from reaching into her pocket for the whistle that Tobirama gave her and instead forced herself to smile sheepishly and apologize before heading out to the courtyard in the direction Misaki had pointed her to.

It did not take a genius to figure out where the Uchiha head family lived – there was a more elaborate-looking part of the living quarters that was obviously cordoned off from the regular civilian and shinobi in the compound, and Toka knew based on how rooms were often allocated in their culture which room was most likely to host the two scions of the clan. As she neared the room, the chakras within confirmed that her guess was right.

Toka took one deep shuddering breath before she slid the door open and knelt right beside the door, placing the dinner tray in front of her.

"Good evening, Madara-sama, Izuna-sama. Dinner is ready," she greeted as she executed a measured, polite bow.

She felt the two brothers' gaze upon her but continued keeping her eyes modestly downcast, her heart beating wildly the entire time and wishing she had used a genjutsu to see into Mariko's memories before she killed her.

"Don't keep your eyes downcast like that, Mariko. It is unbefitting a Sharingan warrior like yourself," said Madara, his voice laced with barely concealed disapproval before he continued, "and please bring it in, thank you."

"Hai, Madara-sama," replied Toka, feeling a huge measure of awkwardness as the bizarre combination of her enemies' names and honorifics rolled off her tongue.

She picked up the dinner tray and strode in before settling herself in front of Madara and proceeded to place the dinner set on the short table in front of him. Izuna was seated to his right and Toka had to ignore the creeping feeling she got from him – she knew he was staring at her, watching intently and it took all her composure to mute the inner screams of panic within herself as she raised her eyes to look at Madara.

She stared back at midnight black eyes and the impassive face of Uchiha Madara. His black, indigo hued hair was long and fell down his entire back, making him look like a giant raven with carefully folded wings. For once, Toka was surprised to see him in a dark blue robe – one clearly meant to be worn in the house instead of how she usually saw him in his battle gear and outfit on the battlefield.

"Please enjoy your dinner, Madara-sama. It's been a long battle," she smiled, all the while holding his gaze.

A slight smile formed on his lips, and it took a long moment for Toka to register that  ** _Uchiha Madara_**  of all people was smiling at her.

"Thank you, Mariko. You should look up more, that confidence suits you. We are all equals here – us Sharingan warriors," he said.

Toka blushed, slightly embarrassed by the fact that Uchiha Madara had just encouraged her to be confident. It was completely laughable, and something interesting about the Uchiha clan – how they viewed Sharingan users as equals regardless of their individual capability.

She picked up the tray and knelt in front of Izuna next, all the while ignoring the feeling of his gaze upon her. She did the same procedure, setting the dinner dishes on his table and lifted her eyes to look at him in the way that all Sharingan warriors, according to Uchiha Madara, should.

She was stunned to see Izuna smiling back at her, his eyes actually holding a soft, friendly glint in them – so unlike the expression she saw earlier when the two brothers were on the way back from battle. And it was as though she was being sucked back into a black hole onto that beach six years ago, when he had first saved her from greedy fishermen.

Toka hated to admit it, but Izuna, despite being a mere fourteen years old, was fast becoming a very handsome man, even more so than his brother. While Madara held the fearsome majesty of a warrior, Izuna's face and demeanor held the Uchiha pride in the sheer sophistication and beauty of his face and form. He was, in every sense, a beautiful man, with his fine boned structure and long, dark eyelashes that framed deep-set midnight black eyes. But for all his beauty, Toka knew he was all the more deadly – his beautiful façade made his demonic fury and skill on the battlefield all the more shocking, and Toka would be lying if she said she did not fear him if she were to clash with him in battle.

"Please enjoy your dinner too, Izuna-sama."

"Thank you, Mariko," smiled Izuna, "and send our regards to Misaki-san. Her cooking just gets better all the time."

"I will, Izuna-sama. She will be so pleased to hear that," smiled Toka, all the while feeling like this was all a big dream – the two Uchiha not noticing her henge no jutsu and even smiling at her like she was one of them.

**_Wait till Hashirama and Tobirama hear about this. Hashirama is going to be so jealous!_ **

She bowed and left the room, eager to leave for her most important duty yet.

As she reached out a hand to slide the door close, Izuna gave her one last look and said, "Oh, and Mariko, you should wear your hair up like that more often, you look really beautiful like this."

Toka froze for a second. Mariko did not have her hair up when she battled her. That probably meant that she didn't tie her hair in the Uchiha base camp too.

Toka's smile betrayed her fear as she smiled and bowed, "Thank you, Izuna-sama."

With that, Toka left as fast as she could out of the Head family quarters and directed her attention to the East wing where she knew her prize was awaiting her, all the while trying to stop Izuna's words from replaying in her head. That boy was getting under her skin too much, his eyes seemed to see too much it was uncomfortable and she wondered if his eyes could really see beyond the mere physical, even without the Sharingan.

* * *

It was midnight when Toka cloaked herself in a genjutsu that masked her in the dark veil of the night as she perched herself on the roof, looking down at the two sentries guarding the door to the Uchiha clan library.

Taking them out was child's play. In the six years that passed, Toka had become such a skilled genjutsu specialist that even the Sharingan was no guarantee against her powerful genjutsu techniques. It was simple, really, since the Uchiha relied so much on their sight she invented a great number of genjutsu that were cast via non-visual channels, like scent, sound and touch. For the two sentries, it was easy to use her perfume-scented genjutsu that lulled them into a deep slumber.

Seeing them go slack against their raised spears, Toka pushed the library doors testily to ensure there were no seals or traps, and when she was assured, gave them a gentle shove as she slunk into the dark depths of the library.

It was pitch black inside, and Toka removed a glass globe from her satchel, giving it a quick tap, startling the fireflies inside and causing them to light up and cast an ethereal glow around the library.

It was startling, how many scrolls the Uchiha had piled onto the shelves in one small space. Toka moved down the first aisle, and was relieved to find that each shelf was labeled with the subject matter of the scrolls.

Wasting no time, she made her way quickly down each aisle until she found the shelf titled "Policies & Agreements".

She picked out the newest looking scroll, and realized how it was not even tied up properly, hinting that it was probably going to be reviewed again in the near future. She unrolled the thin scroll, and for a moment it was as though the entire world had stopped spinning when her eyes scanned through the contents.

The scroll was an order from Toyotomi to enlist the help of a huge number of clans and suppliers that were listed in the scroll in order to launch his expansion campaign to the western borders and even to the land beyond the sea.

This was madness – Toyotomi was hell bent on being the king of the entire world, it seemed, and what got Toka's heart thumping was the fact that there were many clans listed that were allied to the Senju and to her master Tokugawa Ieyasu. It was clear that Toyotomi planned to attack his political opponent from the inside out too.

Toka rolled up the scroll and slipped it into her small satchel attached to her waist, mind racing on the events that would happen should Toyotomi execute this plan on world domination and where this would leave the Senju clan.

**_No, I must inform Tokugawa of this. Only he can defeat Toyotomi._ **

As she whirled around to leave, she was abruptly rooted to the spot by a pair of blood-red Sharingan eyes, and that was all Toka registered before pitch-black darkness befell her.

* * *

**End Notes:**

The "world domination" plan was inspired by how the historical Toyotomi launched a series of attacks on the ancient kingdoms of Korea in the past with the goal of eventually conquering the whole of China for himself.

 


	7. Caught

A close encounter leads to a path of new beginnings.

* * *

Izuna would have been lying if he said that it was easy to cast a genjutsu upon  ** _the_**  Senju Toka. Despite being the Sharingan's greatest master beside Madara, Toka was incredibly gifted in genjutsu – even extending her prowess from visual to three other senses of smell, hearing and touch.

It wasn't easy – finding a gap in her concentration and alertness had proven near impossible, and Izuna was  _this_  close to dropping all pretenses and attacking her directly when suddenly Toka's sharp chakra dimmed to a dull beat.

**_Now!_ **

With a surge of chakra, Izuna sent the most gruesome image he could think of straight into the recesses of Toka's mind – her damned brother Takeshi, floating in a crimson pool of blood and impaled by his own ice spears – exactly the same way Izuna's brother Kazuhiko died from Takeshi's signature ice spears. Oh yes, he remembered that day very well. Every twitch of Kazuhiko's pained face, every drop of blood that flowed upon those spears…everything was etched into Izuna's mind like a molten scar upon the strongest rock.

**_"This death…I will make it real, I promise you…"_**  whispered Izuna, as he closed in like a hawk upon Toka's quivering figure hunched against the shelf.

Toka's face was contorted and twisted in pain, anger, fear… Izuna recognized that look. He had seen it in countless many who had witnessed their loved ones killed in front of their eyes – their eyes…pits of hell from which the light of angels had departed the moment their beloved fell dead upon the ground.

It was…refreshing, seeing this vulnerable and absolutely depraved expression upon a fearsome and renowned kunoichi's face, and it felt even more gratifying that it was him who was able to make this powerful woman tremble and cry like a helpless little girl. Him, the boy who saved her and whom she deserted upon the beach that night. Him, the helpless boy who witnessed his dearest brother killed by her own brother.  _Oh Karma, what a sweet woman you are,_  thought Izuna,  _I will enjoy breaking you._

Izuna took a moment to drink the terror stricken face, memorize every detail and burn it into the eternal gaze of his Sharingan. And yet, as this sick twisted sadism possessed his very form, he felt his heart gripped by a tightness that he hadn't felt for a very long time…8 years in fact. Recognizing it immediately, Izuna crushed it by sheer force of his willpower. Love is for fools, that he had learned in a most painful way a long time ago.

Turning his attention towards his goal, Izuna grabbed hold of Toka's shoulder, his keen perception sensing a disturbance in the tendrils of chakra he was sending her way. It couldn't be…so fast?

**"** ** _NOOOO!_** _"_  screamed Toka, as her chakra flared and cut through Izuna's controlled chakra like angry searing bolts of flame, and reality and awareness returned into her fierce aquamarine eyes.

" _You…_ " Toka hissed as she glared at him, but Izuna only smiled, a kunai pressed threateningly against her throat.

" _Senju_  Toka, what a pleasure to meet you again," Izuna said pleasantly, as if they were acquaintances who had just happened to bump into each other.

"Can't say the feeling's mutual, Izuna," she retorted.

There was a slight pause. "How did you know I'll be in here?" she demanded, almost hissing the question out.

Izuna let out a low chuckle, his eyes brightening with triumph, "Did you honestly think that a transformation jutsu would have been able to fool me? You may have been able to fool many people, including my brother, but if you think you can blindfold an innate sensor like me with such a cheap trick, you've got another thing coming."

He paused, before his lips turned up into a wicked smile, "Did you really think I didn't notice you when you delivered dinner earlier?"

Toka gulped, silent, and Izuna knew she was recalling how his gaze had never left her throughout the whole ordeal. Of course she knew. Or rather, she  _hoped_ that he didn't know. Izuna could see it all over her face from the moment she stepped in with that dinner tray.

Unbeknownst to many enemy shinobi, Tobirama was not the only gifted sensor around – whilst Tobirama's gift in precision and presence were a godsend to the Senju, Izuna's gift was in sensing beyond the superficial, seeing beneath the underneath…a perfect asset in undercover or assassination missions – and apparently also for detecting seemingly normal Uchihas.

Izuna smiled, "You were indeed very convincing, Toka, I give you that. If not for my sensory skills I would have fallen for it, and unfortunately for you,  ** _Mariko_**  does not tie her hair up."

Gripping the kunai, he pushed it firmly against her throat now as his lazy smile morphed into a threatening snarl, "Now where is Mariko? And what brings you here?"

"Somewhere only I know, and if you let me go I can tell you where she is," Toka replied calmly, "and if you think you can get me to talk, you obviously don't know me that well Izuna."

**_"Lies!"_**  hissed Izuna, and before he could press the kunai further into the tender flesh of her neck, Toka's hand had already gotten hold of it and twisted his hand, knocking it out of his grip and kicked him squarely in the stomach in one swift move. He cursed – he had never expected a hostage to be so daring and remove the weapon at their throat, but Toka's gamble had paid off.  _That bitch. She was a sly one._

That was all the distraction Toka needed to sprint out of the library and into the open air as Izuna regained his balance from that painful kick to the stomach. He smirked. It was foolish to run at this point – he had long informed the clan of her presence in the Uchiha compound and had ordered his clansmen to be on standby outside the library where he knew she would be.

Sure enough as he raced along after her and reached the compound, he saw her lone form in the middle of it, tense and ready to strike as she took in the enemy positions around her – ten archers lined along the compound walls, gleaming arrows drawn, and between her and the wall was Tajima, Madara and a few other Uchiha generals. She was completely surrounded.

Izuna strode over to stand beside Madara and behind Tajima as they faced Toka, her eyes blazing with a ferocity that paid tribute to the warrior legacy of her clan.

"There's no way you can escape, Senju. Now surrender or die!" stated Tajima, his authoritative voice sounding across the compound.

Toka growled. "Never!" she cried, and from Izuna's position he could see his father's neck and jaw muscles tense up in anger at her irreverent and fearless rejection of his authority. No one spoke to the Uchiha clan head like that, in that tone, especially if they were soon to be dead or captive.

"Men…" came Tajima's soft order, carried like a death sentence across the light gale of wind that had started to blow across the compound.

Within seconds, the Uchiha generals had fired a barrage of scorching hot fireballs towards Toka, who retaliated with a water dragon jutsu that looked uncannily similar to Tobirama's. The Uchiha watched, curious, as they witnessed the fearsome dragon consume some of the fireballs, causing a thick fog of mist to cloak the entire compound in a heady white mist. But the Sharingan can see past the mist, and Izuna watched as the archers unleashed torrents of metal sharp arrows, all narrowly missing their target as she dodged past them expertly with amazing speed and reflexes. Impressive, considering she didn't possess the Sharingan.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Madara's impassive face lighten up somewhat by the sight of such a capable kunoichi in action. It was no big secret that female warriors were rare, and those that were allowed to fight often were not as talented as Toka. And despite all of their hatred and bad blood with the Senju, the Uchiha respected power and recognized it when it showed itself, even if it presented itself in the form of a Senju.

Summoning more of her chakra, she slammed her hands onto the ground, causing the earth to rise up in the form of brown lions, causing panic as the lions' jaws crushed the bones of the Uchiha shinobi who were unlucky enough to be caught in them.

"Gwaaargh…!" Cries of pain, anger and shock had Toka smirking as the lions emerged like moles out of the ground to claim more victims.

Izuna frowned as he watched his fellow clansmen being mauled by the fearsome gnawing lions. The Uchiha head family had planned to let their soldiers do the dirty work of capturing the Senju co-heiress, but now it seemed that they were failing badly against her prowess and skill. It was time to take action, and he hadn't missed Toka's moves to remove a bone-white object from her pocket…given the color and shape, he guessed it belonged to Tobirama.

Without wasting a moment, Izuna gathered his chakra into his hands, lips bared in a twisted and determined smile as he heard the familiar cackle of lightning as it illuminated his hands with a blinding intensity. He didn't know what that object was, but his sensory perception told him it was a call for help.

He was right. No sooner had he slammed his hands onto the ground towards Toka that she gave a shrill blow to the object, causing momentary confusion within the compound.  ** _Too late._**

The bolts of electricity streaked across the courtyard – and Toka's anguished screams were barely audible as the lightning that racked every cell in her body cackled at a deadly screech along with her. Izuna had made sure the voltage was enough to kill, and it seemed that he was close to his target. All it needed was a quick slice across her throat to finish the deed and avenge the Uchiha blood.

But as Izuna drew his katana and was about to speed across to her, he felt Madara's hand clamp down upon his, forcing him back as three silvery white wolves the size of bears leapt past the walls and landed in the compound, snarling – their glistening white fangs and blood red eyes bared threateningly against the Uchiha.

_"It can't be…"_  said Tajima, his voice barely a whisper,  _"the Wolves of the Northern Mountains…"_

The largest and leader of the pack went over to the unconscious Toka and nudged her onto his back as the remaining two wolves flanked him, their fearsome eyes never leaving the Uchiha and their growls the only sound that was heard in the tense and silent atmosphere that hung in the compound.

Upon ensuring that Toka was safely upon his back, the leader turned to eye the Uchiha menacingly, gleaming red eyes assessing them like a predator before it let out a ear-deafening roar that echoed across the compound. Before Izuna knew it, there was a huge gust of wind that threatened to sweep him off his feet, and he only barely managed to hold his ground when he dug his sword into the ground and held tight, the other hand covering his ear from being deafened by the hair-raising roar that ripped past the jaws of the fearsome wolf.

When the wind stopped and Izuna was finally able to stand up and look, the wolves had already disappeared far beyond the clan walls, although his sensory perception had long discerned their intentions and departure.

"Tch." Izuna let out in annoyance. They had failed – ten men against one woman, and it couldn't have been more embarrassing. And even worse, Toka had gotten her hands on  ** _that_** important scroll.

* * *

When Toka woke, the first thing she saw were Tobirama, Hashirama and Takeshi's concerned faces looking down at her.

"She's awake! She's awake! Toka! How are you feeling?" exclaimed Takeshi excitedly, his face lighting up with pure joy and relief.

Toka tried sitting up, but as she attempted to push her body up, she felt dull jolts of electricity flowing up her hands and hitting her joints, causing her to groan from the pain. Takeshi quickly came forward to support her, and she leaned against his strong frame, taking comfort in his sturdy build and warmth. She would never forget the horrific image of him dead, and gratitude enveloped her entire body as she sighed contentedly against him.

"It's the electricity Izuna sent into your body to immobilize you. It still hasn't left your body yet, you'll have to rest a few more days before you full recover, Toka," came Hashirama's soothing voice as he approached the bed.

So that was it. That flash of electricity that knocked her out completely.

"Damn that Izuna, that voltage was enough to kill anyone," cursed Tobirama, resentment evident in his voice.

"Well, I did manage to rip some of his comrades' legs off, before he did that," replied Toka, causing Tobirama to stare at her in disbelief at her blasé attitude at her near-death by Izuna's hands.

Hashirama waved his hand dismissively at his otouto, laughing at his exasperated face before flashing Toka a brilliant smile, "What matters is that you are alive and well, Toka…wouldn't want to miss our diplomatic mission to Uzushiogakure!"

The shock and confusion on Toka's face was priceless and Takeshi laughed, hugging her closer to him, "Yes, nee-san! We're going to visit the Uzumaki next week to discuss the alliance!"

Alliance? She had never heard anything about an alliance being planned between the Senju and Uzumaki. Sure, the Uzumaki were distant relatives, but they were a very non-violent lot that took great care to remove themselves from the conflict that raged on around them, making them a neutral party. That the Senju was considering an alliance with them was unusual.

"I never heard anything about such a thing," commented Toka blankly, "the Uzumaki have always been neutral, why are they suddenly coming into talks with us?"

Tobirama crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, twirling a scroll in his hand and Toka recognized it as the scroll she stole from the Uchiha library.

"After reading through the scroll, it is obvious that we need more allies, Toka. Our father notified Tokugawa about this, and we also sent a message to the Uzumaki, warning them about Toyotomi's expansionist plans. There is  ** _no way_**  the Uzumaki can escape from sitting on the fence – they will be forced to take sides. This is a war on a larger scale than what we've experienced so far, and the more allies and numbers we have, the greater our chances of survival."

The gravity of Tobirama's words and the prospect of more bloodshed cast a solemn silence around the room – the war was bad enough as it is, but the clans were not exhausted yet. For clans like the Uchiha, they were raging to battle to enjoy the honor, glory and rewards that came with aiding their patron in acquiring more power and land. The real war was just beginning, and it chilled Toka to think about it as the image of her brother dead upon the ocean kept lingering in her subconscious.

"That's easy to say, but will the Uzumaki agree? And what makes you think they will stand by us? Distant blood relations are no guarantee of loyalty," argued Toka, worry evident on her face.

"Hehe, that's where Hashirama nii-san comes in, nee-san!" chirped up Takeshi as a mischievous smile spread across his face.

Hashirama blushed as all eyes were turned upon him, and he scratched his head sheepishly, "Well…Father is planning to arrange a marriage between me and the daughter of the clan head…and erm…"

Toka burst out laughing, and only stopped when she felt the electric jolts pierce her insides too much that it was painful, "HAHAHAHA! You may be one of the greatest shinobi around cousin, but you're one of the biggest dolts amongst them! I doubt even the clan head's daughter will want to marry you!"

"That's not true! I have my charms too!" protested Hashirama indignantly, and he immediately lapsed into his sulking, depressed expression as he was often wont to do. After sixteen years of living with him, Toka knew it was all a sham to garner empathy and affection from those around him, and she wasn't falling for it.

She snickered, "Lighten up Hashirama, at least you have my brother to help you with the ladies, eh?"

She cast a sneaky glance at Takeshi, who scoffed at her remark. He could deny it all he wanted, but Toka knew her brother was a ladies' man and was already gaining notoriety for being a little womanizer amongst the Senju.

"Anyway, nee-san, you gotta tell us more about the Uchiha! What is their base camp like and how do they live?" asked Takeshi, and Toka saw Hashirama straighten up in interest. She had always known that Hashirama was a dreamer; that he hoped to bring peace between the Uchiha and Senju one day. Although she thought it near impossible, seeing the boiling hatred and malice in Izuna's eyes that night, it still heartening to see Hashirama maintain that distinct childlike hope.

"That can come later," interrupted Tobirama, his steely voice cutting through the atmosphere, "Toka, my father would like to speak to you soon, and ordered us to bring you to see him once you have woken up."

He paused for a brief moment in thought before continuing, "And if he had any sense, he wouldn't be sending you to perform such a risky mission again."

"What a wet blanket, Tobirama," muttered Takeshi woefully, giving his cousin a dirty look, before casting his sister a concerned glance, worry for her physical state etched finely into his thin eyebrows.

Toka merely shrugged her shoulders. Her uncle Butsuma could be one of the most uncaring and callous people around, even to his own blood, and she had long gotten used to that idea of him as she slowly brought her legs down to touch the floor, ignoring the tiny pinpricks of electricity that spiraled along her feet.

Whatever it was, she was looking forward to the diplomatic mission to the Uzumaki clan. According to the Senju elders, they lived in a village with rivers, lakes and whirlpools. She had never seen whirlpools before, and going to Uzushiogakure meant looking upon ocean blue waters once again, and it has been almost a year since she last visited the ocean and felt the tranquil waters lap against her skin.

All the fear of that night at the Uchiha compound and the haunting memory of Izuna's eyes and the illusion he weaved upon her started to drift back into the more distant edges of her memory as she imagined the water washing everything away. The bliss that comes with forgetting is like morphine to the wounds of a shinobi's soul. The more she could forget her encounter with Izuna, his hatred for her and her blood, and the fears of losing her loved ones, the happier fool she would be.

Yes, Uzushiogakure seemed like paradise even before she stepped foot into it, and that was enough to urge herself to keep walking as she imagined the soft caress of the waves and currents as she explored the depths of the sea, her golden tail giving her the freedom and strength to be her own master once again.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Even though the Senju and Uzumaki were stated to be distant relatives, I always had the idea that unlike their more warlike (and nosy) cousins, the Uzumaki were more neutral and reclusive in the political affairs of the country. Kind of like how Canada is less involved compared to the USA on the international stage and in conflicts, but both having similar roots. Not the most flattering example, but something along those lines to illustrate the different outlooks and priorities of the two clans. :) And I'm excited to write about the Uzumaki and Uzushiogakure next! ^^ Kishi didn't flesh them out enough, sadly. :(

 

 


	8. Uzushiogakure

Toka meets Mito for the first time and learns the power of the Uzumaki's fuinjutsu.

**Characters:**  Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama, Izuna, Toka, Mito

* * *

Uzushiogakure was in a word, paradise.

There were sapphire blue waters as far as the eye could see, with houses built upon sturdy stilts and painted with bright coral colours, each adorning the swirling red Uzumaki clan symbol. What was more impressive was the intricate network of wooden and stone bridges that connected the various houses scattered across the waters, and Toka took great delight in seeing brightly colored boats cruising along and hearing the boatmen sing deep-throated love songs about the ocean.

**_My god, if only I was born an Uzumaki_** , thought Toka as she soaked in the calm, tranquil atmosphere – so different from the emerald green forests and wooden pines the Senju inhabitated.

It seemed that she was not the only one who was captivated by the village – Hashirama, Tobirama, Takeshi and the few Senju guards who accompanied them were all gazing around, wide-eyed and in a measured trance-like state. Who wouldn't fall in love with such a place?

**_I could swim in these waters forever._ **

Focusing on the bridge ahead, Toka saw a huge mansion painted in similar bright coral colours as the stilt houses, with the exception that swirling patterns of gold were splashed artistically upon the stone exterior, glittering in the bright noonday sun. And right in front of the mansion was the Uzumaki delegation, poised and ready to meet them with smiles on their faces.

What struck Toka was the fact that all of them had bright red hair.  ** _As red as a tomato_** , she thought. She had seen purple, white and even green hair, but never in her life had she seen such bright red on anyone before, and it was fascinating.

As the Senju clan delegation drew closer, Toka could make out the leader amongst them – a slightly aged man with bone-white hair that reached all the way to his back, and behind him to his right one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. She had lively chocolate brown eyes, a clear, porcelain complexion and a graceful stature. The blue and gold robes that flowed around her frame gave her a regal look, and for a moment, Toka thought if she were ever to imagine a princess, this is what she would look like – poised, elegant and beautiful.

"Welcome, Butsuma-sama, we have been expecting you," greeted the Uzumaki clan leader as the two men embraced.

"Thank you, Ashina – this place is as breathtaking as ever, the Uzumaki are a blessed people to have such a beautiful home," smiled Butsuma, his hands still clasped around Ashina's arms in a symbol of brotherhood.

"Let me introduce some very important people," started Ashina, and he gestured towards the woman Toka had been staring at.

There was a moment of stunned silence as the woman stepped forward, robes swishing like the calming waves around them. All eyes were upon her, but she didn't falter under the scrutiny placed upon her, but held her head high and graced her visitors with a charming yet demure smile, her painted lips a beautiful cupid's bow that struck the very hearts of the Senju delegation as they marveled at her beauty.

"This is my eldest daughter, Uzumaki Mito," said Ashina, his eyes brimming with pride at the reaction she had garnered from the Senju.

"A splendid beauty, Ashina-san! The waters of Uzushiogakure must have some magic in them for your daughter to be blessed with such beauty and grace," said Butsuma, appraising his potential daughter-in-law with approval.

Ashina chuckled, "Indeed, the truth may be greater than you think."

Butsuma nodded in quiet understanding of this mysterious shared secret, before he turned to his sons, "My sons, Ashina-san. This is my eldest, Hashirama, and my second, Tobirama."

Hashirama and Tobirama stepped forward at the mention of their names, each giving a respectful ninety-degree bow to Ashina.

"The Senju are equally blessed with beauty, Butsuma-san, and I've heard much about the impressive abilities of your two sons," said Ashina.

"Indeed, I am sure they will be more than happy to showcase some of their famed abilities for you later, Ashina-san," said Butsuma, clapping one hand on Hashirama's shoulder in pride. Even though Hashirama had a dutiful smile on his face, Toka knew him well enough to know that he felt horribly awkward and uncomfortable with his father's public show of pride – Butsuma was an awe-inspiring and efficient leader, but a negligent and callous one in the way he treated his sons and conducted his household.

In other situations, Toka would have laughed at all the meaningless pleasantries that were exchanged between diplomatic parties – she had seen more than her fair share of witless and empty words in the times she worked undercover in the Imperial Court. However, this situation was different. Perhaps it was the fact that the Senju and Uzumaki had always had cordial relations that their compliments came across as genuine, or perhaps it was that her cousins and the Uzumaki princess were absolutely gorgeous people to begin with.

As Toka's gaze returned to rest on Mito, she felt a tingling sense of insecurity as she subconsciously shuffled her feet closer together under her pale green robes. Mito was beautiful, elegant, regal – every bit the queen and princess she was born and made out to be. Even her every movement down to her footsteps were graceful and artfully placed. In a word, she was perfect, and…

**_Everything I'm not_** , thought Toka morosely.

Not a killer, not a liar, and certainly not a  ** _whore_**.

The last word left a bitter taste in Toka's mouth as she repressed the vivid images of naked bodies, memories of the salty tang of the cocks as she slid her wet mouth down their lengths, and the musky smell of male cum filling the air. Just how many men was she forced to slut herself to in order to get what she needed on missions? She had lost count, and that was the most frightening part. Her body was a mere tool, and as fate would have it, ownership of her body was not hers to be had.

Where Mito was born to be a queen amongst men, enjoying the respect and love of even the greatest rulers and warriors, she was destined to be the scarlet woman enslaved to their base desires and manipulations, a bargaining chip to be traded like how the Senju and Tokugawa traded her with Oda Nobukatsu.

Toka was so lost in her thoughts that she hardly noticed Mito gazing calmly back at her, and catching Mito's gaze, she quickly cast her eyes down modestly, embarrassed at being caught staring at the Uzumaki princess.

In so doing, she missed the sweet curvature of Mito's lips as she pulled her lips into a smile, dazzling everyone around her.

* * *

**Uchiha Base Camp**

There are many things Izuna admitted are impossible to be certain about, but one hour of sitting in a meeting with Toyotomi made Izuna absolutely certain that Toyotomi was a greedy man. Greedy for money, power, status – sometimes Izuna wonders if it is because Toyotomi felt the need to delude himself into believing that he was not born a commoner, that he was born a King and a God.

However the Uchiha don't see that. All they see is a noble lord whose ambitions and political power would bring the Uchiha to greater heights and glory. Tajima, for all his clarity and foresight on the battlefield seemed to be frighteningly obtuse when it came to reading people on a deeper level, and Toyotomi was a greedy man.

So greedy, that he was unfazed that his rival Tokugawa knew of his expansionist plans of conquering the lands beyond.

"Tajima…the Uchiha are the honorable descendants of the great Otsutsuki Indra. Why should you be afraid that a mere kunoichi stole a scroll from your quarters?" Toyotomi drawled lazily, his fan casting shadows on his weathered face.

"I am the most powerful man in the world – so what if Tokugawa knows about my plans? Even if he tries to stop me, he lacks the armies and resources I have. And besides, the allies we target are hard up for cash, no? Just offer them a generous amount or kill them if they refuse."

_Standard modus operandi_. Izuna inwardly scoffed at Toyotomi's brazenness and lack of care about the stolen scroll. The Uchiha were lucky fools. If it were anyone with less power, resources and armies at his command, this stolen piece of strategic information would have spelled the immediate downfall of this man. But the gods seemed to favor Toyotomi and his reckless greed, so Izuna kept quiet. You don't bite the hand that feeds you, even if it's the hand of a fool.

Seeing no point in listening to Toyotomi ramble on about new clans he wanted to include in his list (all useless, nondescript ones in Izuna's opinion), Izuna let his mind wander off to that night a few days ago.

Thanks to his Sharingan, he could remember every fine detail of the frenzied emotions that swirled in the aquamarine vortexes of Toka's eyes as he cast an excruciating genjutsu upon her. Hopelessness, despair, hatred… He wonders if Toka hates him, detests him…and hatred…

Izuna closes his eyes, a slight frown hidden by the bangs that fell across his forehead. Kazuhiko was right. When a man knows love, he bears the risk of hatred. Izuna knew he loved her from the moment he saw her there, beautifully lonely upon the beach and tragically alluring in her helplessness. He knew his heart was shattered into innumerable pieces when she ran away from him and her brother killed his – for that was when every illusion of a loving future and hope of them being together was just that – an illusion denied to a man thirsty for a woman's love in return.

He knew, oh he knew, that hatred was a companion of the Uchiha since centuries untold, a shadow that followed close upon their heels, the wings that propelled them to greatness and the force that drove the anger and power behind their eyes…" _the eyes that reflect the heart_ " – that was the Sharingan, and the Uchiha were the blessed and the cursed bearers of this divine power and inheritance.

He could have killed her if the wolves hadn't intervened. He would have. So why, oh  ** _why_**  did it hurt so damn much that he had to kill her? He should be happy shouldn't he? Avenged of the hurt she and her blood inflicted upon him since time immemorial. So why? Why? He hates her, hates, hates,  ** _hates_**  her, it's in his  ** _blood_** …and he should, and then he  _couldn't_  and…he loves her. Loves her like the scorching flame that burns the strongest and sturdiest wood and consumes the body and soul.

**_Fuck._ **

Izuna sighed, low, as he forcefully shut his raging thoughts down and looked upon the proud and self-important face of his patron, in need of a distraction from his inner turmoil, and Toyotomi provided just that with his pompous attitude and ambitious plans that made Izuna wonder if he should be impressed or alarmed.

Meanwhile, Izuna's inner turmoil had not gone unnoticed by Madara. To almost anyone, Izuna's calm and deceptively pleasant demeanor was inscrutable and hard to read, but Madara was Izuna's older brother, and he knew when his otouto's mind was occupied by more personal issues, and what just occurred was one of them. If anything, Madara was surprised and intrigued…Izuna was a natural in putting up masks and pretences, so for him to slip up even in the slightest indicated an issue of a great magnitude, and Madara was hard-pressed for what could have riled his brother up so.

Flipping through the most recent events and thoughts, like an eager reader browsing through a novel, he stopped at the page of a few nights ago, on the exact face of the powerful, daring and strikingly beautiful kunoichi who infiltrated the Uchiha compound – Toka Senju, co-heiress of the Senju clan and cousin to Hashirama.

For a brief moment, Madara feared the worst – his otouto…could he have fallen in love with the Senju heiress? If it were true, it would be the cruelest joke the gods decided to play on both of the rivaling clans. Madara felt protectiveness wash over his form as he gazed at Izuna – he was, and still is in love with Hashirama, no matter how much he has been trying unsuccessfully for years to suppress it, and he knew the pain of severing ties with a loved one. And if Izuna was indeed falling in love with this girl, or the gods forbid, already in love with this girl, as an older brother, it was his duty to protect Izuna and stop him before anything escalated out of control.

Averting his gaze from Izuna, Madara made a mental note to monitor the situation in the future from now on.

* * *

**Meanwhile, in Uzushiogakure**

The night was all warm, glowing lights and dizzying laughter as the Senju and Uzumaki wined and dined in an ivory white pavilion situated in the middle of the blue waters, the moon lending its silvery glow to the celebrations below.

It had been such a long time since the Senju truly celebrated, and Toka almost forgot what it was like to really laugh and have fun as she danced in arms with the Senju and Uzumaki shinobi, twirling in a circle and drinking countless cups of wine and sake. Takeshi was off somewhere in a corner whispering sweet nothings to a pretty Uzumaki girl with flowing red hair, Tobirama was engaged in what seemed like a boasting of all his military endeavors that elicited amazed looks from the Uzumaki guards gathered round him, and Hashirama was right beside Butsuma, engaging in familiar banter and drinks with Ashina.

Feeling a niggling discomfort at the pit of her stomach, Toka whispered to the Senju shinobi beside her, "I'm going out for a breath of fresh air for a while, you guys continue!"

He nodded and she smiled back, making her way deftly out of the pavilion and to the rocks some distance away where she plopped herself unceremoniously on her knees and lurched forward, emptying the whole night's worth of alcohol and food into the waters below.

"Are you all right?"

Toka whizzed around in shock to see Mito in all her feminine glory standing behind her, a concerned expression on her face.

Oh.  ** _Oh_**. She had just puked in front of the most gorgeous woman on the planet. How was she supposed to be all right? It was downright embarrassing!

Toka blushed sheepishly, "Yeah…I just had a little too much to drink, that's all."

There was a short silence for a while, and Toka wished so hard to teleport as far away from Mito as possible – the distance between them was too great, and she had just embarrassed herself further in front of Mito she was sure her pride and dignity would crumble under the regal weight of this princess standing before her.

"Well, better out than in, don't you think so, Toka-san?" said Mito, a playful lilt to her voice, and Toka, despite her embarrassment, managed to choke out a little laugh.

"I guess so," Toka nodded in reply.

Mito gave a soft smile, her lively brown eyes warm as she sat herself down beside Toka. "It's been such a busy day, talking to all those men over there," she said, gesturing to the ivory pavilion in the distance, "I'm glad I can finally have some female company."

It was as if Toka's heart stopped beating for a minute. This woman didn't despise her? Why would a high-ranking princess like her waste time speaking to a kunoichi like her? She should be cavorting with the powerful lords and warriors, like Hashirama and Butsuma, not her. And it was weird thinking about it, but Mito sounded a little lonely when she said that. Toka shifted, uncomfortable at this show of vulnerable emotion.

"I'm glad I can be of help to you in that way, Mito-sama," said Toka, finally able to find her voice.

Mito laughed – a light, tinkling laugh that sounded like the jingling of shrine bells in the wind. "Mito-sama? There is no need to be so formal with me, Toka-san! We're all relatives and equals here, are we not?"

Toka glanced at Mito, shocked at the word "equals". That was the exact word Madara had used when he had addressed her, thinking she was Mariko. Did the Uzumaki have a similar concept then of what were equals like the Uchiha did?

Toka let out a soft chuckle, "All right, how is Mito-san then?"

"Mito is fine,  _Toka_ ," said Mito quickly, winking at her, brown eyes twinkling in mirth.

"Heh…anyway, how did you know my name?" asked Toka, genuinely curious. Butsuma did not formally introduce her to Ashina. After all, she was in effect the fourth-in-line after her cousins and Takeshi to the Senju leadership. Even though she is co-heiress with Hashirama by name, given how her father Seiji was the older brother of Butsuma, the reality of Senju clan politics and gender roles had displaced her from the clan hierarchy.

"Oh, I asked Butsuma-san during the feast just now. I was curious to know who was the woman with such beautiful eyes like the sea," replied Mito, swinging her legs nonchalantly onto the edge of the rocks, causing the moonlight to throw a pearly glow upon Mito's long and slender pale legs.

"Eyes like the sea?" laughed Toka, unbelieving that Mito would be interested in

someone just because of their eyes.

"Yes, eyes like the sea!" insisted Mito, "I've seen blue eyes before, but never have I seen anyone with eyes that look like they've been painted with the entirety of the ocean's colours before. There's blue and green in them, exactly like how the shallow pools of my village look like under the sun!"

Toka blushed – she knew she had beautiful eyes, but never before had anyone complimented her in such a flattering and genuine way. It was sweet, and the stinging sense of insecurity she felt earlier on began to subside into one closer to self-acceptance. Mito didn't despise her after all, and she was flattered to be acknowledged by such a woman like her. The way Mito looked at her, how she didn't put up any pretences and sat beside her like she had known her forever…

Somehow, Toka felt that she was perfectly fine telling Mito even her deepest darkest secrets. There was something oddly calming and tranquil about her, like the waves that lapped against the rocks. Never judging or attacking, only flowing and ebbing with the tides and current. It was surprising, to say the least. Toka was a shinobi, born and bred for secrecy, so for Mito to make her feel like she could tell her biggest secrets, well…Toka decided then that Mito would be a most dangerous enemy to have in court.

"Thank you, Mito. That's because I'm a daughter of the sea," said Toka.

Mito looked at her sharply in confusion, "Daughter of the sea…? I thought the Senju were children of the forest?"

"Yes, we are, but you see – even though my father was a Senju, my mother wasn't. She was a mermaid, a daughter of the sea," explained Toka.

The look on Mito's face was one of shock, disbelief and wonderment, "You don't mean…?"

Toka giggled, amused at how Mito's elegant façade was momentarily broken by that sudden revelation, "Yes, Mito! Let me show you!"

With that, Toka stood up, unraveling the summer yukata around her, revealing her naked form before she plunged into the dark waters below. She resurfaced, and lay herself onto the nearby rock a few metres away from Mito, grinning cheekily, a certain freedom blooming across her chest as she was allowed this precious truth to be revealed to someone who could actually understand.

Mito gaped, marveling at the sight before her. Toka's tail was golden, with hues of amber and orange that glimmered in the moonlight, and as the tail swished idyllically beneath the dark blue waves, Mito saw the golden fins emit an ethereal glow that illuminated the waters around. With Toka's tall, lithe figure and a pair of enchanting aquamarine eyes staring back at her, Mito thought she had never seen anything more enchantingly beautiful as this. Toka was the ocean in human form, and she couldn't have been more beautiful.

"You're…you're a  ** _mermaid_**!" said Mito at last, breathless with amazement.

Before Toka could reply, it was as though Mito had transformed from a regal queen into an overly excited child as she began bombarding her with all sorts of questions, "Do the Senju know? What does it feel like, having a tail? What does the ocean look like below? How long can you breathe underwater?"

Toka laughed as she swam close to the rock Mito was perched on, lifting her arms and resting upon them as she admired Mito's beauty and her sparkling brown eyes – eyes that shone with such admiration and adoration that Toka had never seen before, and it was all for her…she smiled. It was the right decision to share her secret with the Uzumaki princess.

"Only my uncle, brother, and cousins know. This must be kept a secret between us too, Mito, promise me."

"I promise, but please do tell me, what does the ocean look like below? I have lived with the oceans my entire life, but never have I actually seen what it is truly like…" said Mito, her eyes shimmering as bright as the blazing diamond stars above.

Toka frowned a little, "It's hard to describe, Mito… but it's absolutely marvelous, nothing is more beautiful than the ocean. I would stay in the ocean if not for the fact that there is a war going on."

There was a tense silence as Mito bit her lower lip. "Could you…could you…show me?" she said, voice barely above a whisper.

"Show you? But Mito, you can't breathe underwater, and I cannot use or mold my chakra in this form," replied Toka, "I'm sorry."

A serious look of concentration crossed Mito's face, before it suddenly brightened and she pulled a scroll, an inkbrush and an ink palette out of her robes. Without wasting a single moment, she dipped the inkbrush into the inky black palette and held her hand out, "Come on, give me your hand, Toka!"

"Well, whatever for?" asked Toka, surprise as she stared at the inkbrush and the dripping black ink.

"It's a fuiinjutsu that I invented not long ago, it is supposed to transfer one's abilities to another for a short period of time via a special seal. The best part is that you can place a seal on something or someone just by touching them, something that will be useful on the battlefield if you want to transfer some power to an ally or comrade that they may lack at first," explained Mito, pride evident in her voice.

Toka was impressed – she had heard about the fuuinjutsu abilities of the Uzumaki, but never before had she known that they could be so useful and used in such a dynamic way…perhaps allying with the Senju would exponentially increase the Senju's combat abilities. They could do with more inventive techniques like that.

Toka swam closer, "That sounds amazing, but how is this supposed to work in me showing you what's below?"

Mito giggled as she folded her hands neatly on her lap, "Well, all I have to do is apply this first seal upon you – it grants you the ability to transfer your abilities to another just by a touch – that is if you are willing of course. The seal reacts to your innate will, so it is pretty unconscious and easy to use in that sense. You just have to have an image of what you want to do in your head when you touch that person."

"Is the seal permanent?"

Mito paused, staring Toka with a look of guilt as though she had said something offensive, "No, of course not… do you want it to?"

Toka thought about it for a moment – if she didn't use it for showing people the depths of the ocean, she could use it on the battlefield against her enemies. It was definitely an asset to have, and she wouldn't pass up a chance like that.

"Well, why not? Sounds like a helluva useful jutsu!" grinned Toka in reply.

Mito laughed, "Pass me your arm then, I'll make it permanent with just a few extra strokes and modifications to the seal!"

Toka passed her arm to Mito, and watched in amazement as the latter drew light, fluttering brushstrokes across her arm in characters Toka didn't understand, impressed at the deft and firm way Mito handled the brush like a kenjutsu master handled a sword. Both kunoichi watched as the black ink slowly faded into Toka's skin, leaving no trace behind.

" _Wow_ …" muttered Toka, her turn to be breathless with amazement now as she stared at her arm, "You're amazing, Mito."

She looked up only to see Mito had stripped herself down to a dark blue chemise and jumped into the water, landing beside Toka.

"Well, stop staring and let's go!" giggled Mito excitedly, sounding like a little child, tugging on Toka's arm.

Toka's face broke out into a grin and she drew closer to Mito, embracing her in her arms, and made sure to have a mental image of a Mito breathing and swimming under the water.

"Let's go, princess," said Toka, before she grabbed Mito's hand and the two kunoichi dived below into the inky dark waters, leaving nothing more than a ripple on the surface in their wake.

Their adventure had just begun.

* * *

**End Notes:**

I always had a headcanon that Toka and Mito were good friends and fellow kunoichi who understood each other and confided in each other. As for the Uzumaki, their fuinjutsu was so good that even Toka and eventually Tobirama learnt from them and created more jutsu like the Flying Thunder God technique and Edo Tensei – making the alliance an exchange of information between the two clans. And yes, Uzushiogakure is like a coral-like, idyllic Venice in my mind too.

 


	9. Vortex

Toka and Mito go for a dive that turned out to be more than what it was supposed to be.

 **Characters:**  Toka, Mito, Tobirama

* * *

At first, all Mito could see was pitch black and felt a vague sense of disappointment until she heard Toka's pixie laughter right beside her, "Don't be too disappointed, princess. I almost forgot that humans don't have the same underwater night vision that mermaids do!"

That was all Mito registered before suddenly her world burst into color, as the blackness gave way to soft, golden sand, and corals in a hypnotizing myriad of purple, green and gold. She saw schools of fish swimming, their silver and black stripes glistening as they swam in unison across the coral reefs.

Around them swam marine creatures Mito had never seen in her entire life – stingrays, turtles, the occasional jellyfish and the many schools of brightly colored fish she had never seen before. It was mind blowing, how these marine wildlife could thrive underwater and move so fluidly without any legs. What was it about their fins, their tails that made them so dynamic in the water? Mito was curious and fascinated – her scholarly spark flaring up as she took in everything around her.

All the while as Mito surveyed this whole new world in front of her, Toka smiled, happy to see her new friend share this ardent love for the sea she did. It brought Toka even greater joy to know she could put a smile to someone's face instead of the dazed stricken expressions of death.

She giggled inwardly as Mito swam excitedly over to the coral reef, pointing at a clownfish that had just emerged from the pink tentacles of a sea flower, marveling at the bright orange, white and black coloring of the fish. Upon sensing Mito approach, it dove right back into the flower, afraid and thinking Mito was a predator come to eat it whole.

"What's that? I've never seen such a fish before!" exclaimed Mito, her eyes alight as she gaped at where the clownfish had disappeared into.

"It's a clownfish, they're shy like that," explained Toka, placing a reassuring hand upon Mito's shoulder.

"I can't believe it…even though we live right beside the sea, with the sea, we've never seen anything like this! All of these …" said Mito, raising her eyes to survey the kaleidoscope of colors and creatures that surrounded them, and gesturing wildly at them, "treasures, and we've never even  ** _seen_**  them!"

"I could…I could just…stay here forever…" she said, her voice barely above a whisper as her former excitement and wonder slowly faded into one of sadness – a look Toka knew too well because she wore it so often herself.

Funny, how they both uttered the same words, about staying in the ocean forever. The ocean – where its vastness and treasures untold promised the freedom, wonder and peace that the land seemed to deny them of. It was in that moment that Toka knew she had found her soul mate.

"What is it, princess, if I may ask." said Toka gently, giving Mito the option as she knew there were certain things that were best left in the dark.

"It's just that…" Mito's breathless voice trailed off and she gazed blankly ahead.

She turned to face Toka, brown eyes gazing back at her with a painfully familiar expression that Toka had to resist the urge to look away.

"It's just that my whole life has never been mine to begin with…Everything's been planned for me, who I am, what I should be, what I should act like, who I should marry…"

At that, Mito bit her lip slightly, her years of training as a princess holding her elegant and calm composure in place. A perfect mask for a perfect girl, thought Toka. So she's a prisoner of her own privilege too…

It was a startling confession. Toka had never thought about it and envied those noble women who were treated like princesses and queens, given the same respect as men and not forced to sell their bodies in exchange for a rice bowl. Perhaps, in a cruel way, the fate of women like Toka and Mito were not that different after all…in the end they were to serve their people and play the part expected of them, tools in the tussle for power amongst men. While Toka had the freedom of a fighter, she could never escape the derisive looks people gave her when they knew about the gritty  ** _dirty_**  work she does. While Mito had the freedom of shelter and enjoyed the admiration and respect of high-ranking men and women, she knew there were certain things, certain boundaries she could not cross lest she disgraced her clan and herself.

No woman could have it all. It was a man's world, and as women, you could only learn how to survive it by doing exactly what the men told you to do. Now that Mito mentioned it, Toka could only lament at the gender inequality that persisted in their world and kept everyone in it in check.

"My cousin Hashirama is a good man, Mito, and I don't say this out of political or familial interests," said Toka.

Mito's eyes flickered, and a certain cunning skepticism entered them as she let out a soft smile, "How so Toka? And even if he is, that still doesn't change the fact that I have no choice in this matter of marriage."

"You don't know my cousin, Mito. He's an idealist…a dreamer. He dreams of peace, love and life…I know you feel you do not have a say in this marriage, but Hashirama does. And if you don't want it, he won't force you to, he's just not that type."

Mito stared at Toka, an unbelieving expression on her face, and Toka was surprised that she had spoken with such conviction about Hashirama – he couldn't have gotten a better defender and spokesperson than her, and from the looks of it, Mito wasn't sure if she should be convinced or suspicious.

"Peace?" echoed Mito, a fine eyebrow arched in curiosity, "peace in these turbulent times of war?"

Toka sighed, shrugging, "I know, I don't believe it too, but only an idiot as big as Hashirama can. He's been talking about peace, starting with the Uchiha, and that he would bring an end to all this bloodshed one day. Only Tobirama and I can hear it and not roll our eyes or beat him senseless…"

"I'd imagine so…" said Mito, intrigued, and Toka thought she saw amusement in Mito's eyes, "but if he is really as you say he is, then I think I would enjoy taking the time to know him…"

Toka grinned, "Or you'd end up clubbing him over his head cos he's such a dolt."

Mito laughed, a bright tinkling tug of silver bells and the light started returning back into her expressive brown eyes.

"In that case, I should probably do that. Maybe that will make the elders change their mind about the marriage, don't you think Toka?" she winked cheekily.

"Indeed so, my princess," Toka winked back, happy to know that Mito was back to her cheery self again and most importantly, that she seemed genuinely interested in Hashirama now. Toka smiled in spite of herself as she watched Mito swim to look at the mysterious caves ahead, admiring how Mito's crimson hair billowed like a velvet cloak around her.

Even though this was to be a political marriage, she sure hoped for both Mito and Hashirama's happiness that it would be more than that – that it would be a marriage founded on the very love and hopes that the both of them seemed to crave for so much. Such a marriage surely would be worth more than a hundred lifetimes in the ocean.

* * *

 **" _Well?_ "** asked Butsuma, his soft voice veiling a father's command to perform under layers of political cordiality.

Tobirama inwardly sighed as he focused even harder, trying to grasp at any pinpricks of chakra amongst the sea of endless life that teemed beneath the swirling waters of Uzushiogakure.

It was inconvenient and unfortunate – to have the Uzumaki and Senju heiresses go missing together at the most important time, and at night too! The men had only realized when the two patriarchs had deemed it best to send Hashirama and Mito on a mini date when they realized that the Uzumaki princess was nowhere to be found – as was Toka.

Fear had seized the delegation upon this discovery – the gods forbid, but could the Uchiha have found out about the Senju plans of an alliance and kidnapped or even worse, killed Mito and Toka whilst the Senju delegation were occupied at the pavilion?

The only and first call to action was to summon the best sensor in the known shinobi world to perform the heavy burden of finding the lost heiresses.

Whilst Tobirama had long grown accustomed to being placed under scrutiny and pressure, having both the Senju and Uzumaki clans looking on expectantly and fearing the worst for his beloved cousin, he was starting to feel that maybe it would have been brilliant if he hadn't been born such a good sensor.

Ashina looked on, worry plastered like a black veil across his face as he said, "Young man, please be careful of the vortexes – once you are within a three meter radius of it, all hope is lost and you will be sucked within it."

_Please ensure my daughter hasn't been sucked into one._

The unsaid was even scarier in prospect – what if Mito and Toka had already been sucked into the vortexes?

Like a miracle, Tobirama picked a large surge in chakra along the edges of his sensory perception – it flailed and fought against the current, and he could sense it – fear, desperation…followed by a swirling void that seemed to tug everything into its very core. If Tobirama focused any harder, he was sure he would nose dive into the waters to be sucked into the vortex too, given its irresistible pull and force. Ashina was right – these vortexes were swirling cyclones of doom that even he wasn't confident he could survive if he were that close, what more the two princesses.

" _I found them_ ," said Tobirama, at last, but that didn't do anything to comfort the fear churning in his stomach as he sped across the water.

Finding them was one thing, getting to them in time was another.

* * *

Before this, all Toka knew about vortexes were that they were swirling forces that spun in a circular motion and sucked everything around it in. What she didn't know was the extreme force and power of the infamous vortex that Uzushiogakure was named after.

It was unexpected, this vortex.

She and Mito were swimming around leisurely, gathering the prettiest seashells they could find and Toka giving commentaries on all the marine life they encountered when they rounded a bend of the cave to suddenly feel themselves sucked by an invisible force out of their path and towards a swirling dark blue vortex hovering six feet above them.

"A vortex!" cried Mito, and Toka thought she had never heard such unconcealed fear and horror in a single voice before, "We need to get out or we'll be dead! The moment we get within the one-meter radius, it's the end for both of us! We'll be sucked in within just  ** _five_**   _seconds!_ "

Toka cursed inwardly as she fought to swim against the raging current that bore her and Mito eerily closer to the black hole of doom that awaited them. In her mermaid form, she couldn't mold or sense chakra, and thus she and Mito hadn't detected the vortex approaching them from just around the corner. She hadn't even paused to consider how the Uzumaki could be so precise on the number of seconds it took for a person to be sucked into their doom when they were within a one metre radius of the vortex.

She flailed her tail, whipping it fast and hoping to generate enough force to break free from the deadly pull – but she found herself inching slowly back, bit by bit….and it was terrifying. Mermaids were strong swimmers, even against the strongest current during the worst storms in the ocean, but this – this unknown, powerful vortex, was even greater than that, and it scared Toka.

 _It's like dying a slow death_ , she thought. Every inch brought you closer to the eye of death, no matter how hard you fought – this desperation, this helplessness despite your best efforts, and for the second time after the infiltration into the Uchiha compound, Toka found herself in what she believed to be her death sentence with ninety-nine percent certainty.

Behind her, she could hear Mito mutter something, before realizing it was a familiar old song that children used to sing during one of their games.

 _So the Uzumaki princess was the sort of shinobi who dealt with fear through happy thoughts_ , thought Toka. To be honest, Toka wished she was that kind of shinobi as well, but she was not. Tobirama and her were born with an incurable disposition to be horrendously mathematical and analytical in their efforts to focus their attention when things like fear were distracting them.

 _Guess that's why we make such a pair_ , Toka thought ruefully.

Toka feels the tips of her tail fluttering at a frantic pace, the force almost ripping each fin into a zillion tiny shreds, and given her height, she knew she was less than 2 metres away from death, and started counting down, all the while swimming ever harder for her dear life.

 _Assuming all things equal, I only have about 8 seconds left_ , she thought, as her mechanical instincts worked at a quick pace that was fuelled by the adrenaline and fear within her head.

**_8, 7, 6…_ **

Toka swore. Her tail was inching ever closer and she could feel the pressure causing lacerations along her fins and damn, did it hurt.

 _Ugly, so ugly…I'd be torn into pieces, not even my family can retrieve my body whole_ , she thought.

**_5, 4…_ **

Toka swore the lacerations were going to split her flesh apart anytime soon, and her hair felt like it was being pulled out by the roots by an invisible vacuum placed directly over her head.

_Fuck, fuck **fuck!**  I don't want to die like this, it's ugly, it's painful, and I just want…_

**_3…2…1_ **

All of a sudden, a large sonic blast filled Toka's ears and her eardrums thrummed along to the beat, leaving Toka feeling dizzy as foamy waves and dark spirals of blue filled her vision, and she felt something hard and sturdy grip her by the waist, pulling her out and up and…

"Hhhhhgrrrhhh…!" Toka gasped as her face broke through the surface of the water and she found herself unceremoniously dumped upon the hard, cold earth.

**_Land._ **

Choking, Toka could barely see as she heaved painfully, feeling the saltwater block up her air passageways.  _Alive, she was **alive**._   **Again.**

Looking up, she vaguely saw Mito's pale form being surrounded by the Uzumaki delegation and blinked several times, hoping it was all true and that Mito was safe and both of them were alive.

" _Nee-san, thank the Rikudou Sennin you're all right!"_  came a familiar voice, as she felt something warm envelop her shivering form.

Strange, how the voice was heard as though it came from a tunnel deep within her mind, so near yet so far away…echoing, echoing, echoing…who was this person? She was sure she knew him and yet she couldn't place a finger to it.

" _Leave her be, stop pestering her with questions, **stop shaking her**  and bring her back to safety!_" came another jarring, authoritative voice, although it seemed to just echo and reverberate dimly within the tunnel of her mind.

Soon, the colorful figures of the Uzumaki in the distance started disintegrating into blurred shapes, and Toka found dark spots pepper themselves in the horizon, growing bigger and bigger until…

**Darkness.**

* * *

It was noon the next day when Tobirama poured her a cup of herbal tea.

"Drink, it will help nourish your body," he says softly, and Toka marvels at how he manages to sound authoritative and concerned at the same time.

Without a word, she brings the cup to her lips and sips carefully, letting the heady taste of the leaves wash over her senses. Tobirama watches her, and she chooses to ignore the look on his face when she sets the cup down and gazes out the window into the open sea beyond.

"I don't know what you're thinking, Toka, transforming yourself back into a mermaid and bringing Mito for a dive," he begins.

"Just a little girl time, you wouldn't understand," replies Toka, her gaze never leaving the shifting blue waters beyond.

"Now the Uzumaki know about your heritage, Toka."

A pause.

"That's nice. You know anyone who wants to eat some mermaid? I heard it brings many benefits like eternal youth."

Tobirama's eyes narrow, and Toka doesn't need to look at him to know that he was angry. She could feel his enormous chakra, usually controlled, start uncoiling like a woolen spool around his frame.

"This is  ** _not_**  funny, Toka and you  ** _know_**  it. The Uzumaki may be allies and family, but that is no guarantee that they would keep the secret even though my father swore them to it! Toka, I thought you were the level-headed one out of all of us!" Tobirama berated.

Another pause.

"I thought so too," says Toka at last. Soft, silent, and resigned.

Sensing something more, Tobirama stops himself and asks, "What is it, Toka?"

"It's just that it's been too long since I last opened myself up to someone, and she seemed like somebody who would understand."

At those words, Tobirama feels like slamming his head against the wall. It was painful to hear – hear those words of loneliness and burden coming from the lips of his beloved cousin, and he feels the anger within his chest dissipate – to be replaced by a warm, protective streak. It wasn't the first time he felt this way, despite Toka being two years his senior.

He knew it was because she was the closest one in the family who could understand him in ways his  ** _always_** -idealistic brother couldn't, and they had bonded over that. Even her twin brother Takeshi couldn't manage to be on the same wavelength as her – despite being a talented shinobi with the Ice Release kekkei genkai, he was horrendously basic in his thinking, limiting it mostly to women and family, and Tobirama sometimes wonders how he and Takeshi could be related – that plebian.

"I understand what you mean, Toka. Hashirama feels the same about her…she has somehow gotten my brother absolutely smitten with her I think she might actually be a witch in disguise," says Tobirama.

That got her smiling wickedly again, and Tobirama mentally pats himself on the back.

"I won't be surprised if she is, Tobi. She's just so perfect," Toka muses, and smiles a smile that seems to hide a little secret that she keeps to herself.

"He's been nursing her back to health since he rescued the both of you last night, and Ashina spent the entire time praising anija's mokuton for prying you out of harm's way."

Toka giggles, amused and not missing the tone Tobirama was throwing her way.

"Ah, he convinced you to let him do it didn't he?" she winked.

"Of course," says Tobirama as he pours himself a cup of tea, "but being the dutiful brother I am, I let him hog the  ** _entire_**  limelight. After all, I'm not the one getting married."

He winks back at her, and all is at peace between them as they watch the sun cast its warm glows upon the sapphire blue waters of Uzushiogakure.

* * *

**End Notes:**

Even though it's an Izuna/Toka fic, but at the same time I want to delve into the individual ties both Izuna and Toka have to their own family members, thus I dedicated more time to examining Toka's relationship with Mito and most importantly, Tobirama. Therefore the romance part of Izuna/Toka may not come as fast as some of you may like it, but I really intend for this to be as much a Founders/political feud fic as much as it is a couple-centric one.

I also had the impression that Tobirama and Toka would naturally be close to each other due to what the manga and databooks imply about their characters. Both appear like extremely intelligent "mad scientist" genius types that only the two of them would be able to understand each other.

And staying true to canon, Hashirama is the dorkier of the two Senju bros, and he gets to be the big hero and save the two women with his powerful Mokuton – only because Tobirama allowed him to. I mean, who better to save two damsels in distress from a watery vortex than the Poseidon of the Naruto verse right?


	10. Way Back Into Love

Madara and Hashirama deal with love differently. Implied/graphic mentions of rape, possible depression and death. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

 **Characters** : Izuna, Madara, Hashirama & Mito

* * *

It was evening when it started all over again.

Izuna leaned against the wooden pillar, arms folded and eyes closed. There was nothing to be heard – the seal Madara had placed around his room had ensured no sound or chakra escaped the barriers, but Izuna knew his older brother enough to know and re-imagine what exactly was going on in there.

First would be a hard punch to the face before the victim found a thick black cord slung like a death noose around their neck, suspending them from the wooden beam above – a stool that supported their legs the only thing that prevented the cord from snapping their necks and rendering them hanging corpses.

Second would be a kiss rough enough to bruise and split the lips, causing a small trickle of blood to flow down the victim's chin and drip onto the stool below, painting new stains above older ones from similar unfortunate victims before him.

Any attempt to escape or evade the attacker's moves will be useless – all the victim will feel will be searing hot pain as the brute rips his flesh apart with claw-like nails that seem to be ignited with fire. Izuna pretends not to hear the blood-curdling scream that emanates from the poor victim's throat as he screams for help and mercy.

A bite against the sensitive skin of the neck, a desperate sucking of the collarbone as the attacker's hands find their way to the victim's limp cock, stroking roughly at a frightening pace that caused pain rather than pleasure.

That was all the attacker needed – a flailing life fighting for survival, before he roughly grabbed the victims' bony hips and forcefully pried his butt cheeks apart.  _It was intoxicating, this struggle against him_ , the attacker mused as he positioned his throbbing erection at the entrance, pearly strands of pre-cum glistening around his peak before he thrusts into the victim as forcefully and smoothly as he impales an enemy with his polished steel blade.

The feeling of hot wetness and the clenching of muscles around his erection causes the attacker's vision to burst to life, and instead of seeing the matted purple hair of the victim beneath him, all Madara sees is Hashirama's silky chestnut brown hair and healthy tanned skin bloodied and bruised – vulnerable and struggling, exactly how he  _wants_  to see him.

With every thrust, Madara sees Hashirama's beautifully strong yet weak body tremble under the pain of his manhood, his back arching and showing off the bloodied streaks and familiar blood red of battle, causing Madara to grin in bloodlust and pleasure.  _Beautiful, he was so beautiful_.

But what Madara loves seeing the most is Hashirama's hands struggling so hard against the cords that bound them, the sensitive skin of his neck breaking apart from fighting against the black noose around his neck. Fighting was the lifeblood of their love, and in blood would Madara love and hate Hashirama, caress his skin and consummate their unholy union.  _" **Fight me** ,"_ he rasps out, and is pleased to see Hashirama respond in kind by tugging against the bindings more and hissing viciously at him.

The heat of that summer night, the slick wetness that clenches and unclenches rhythmically around his cock, and the battle adrenaline that surges through his veins is all it takes to bring Madara over the edge, spilling his seed wantonly into his victim, who is too traumatized and tired to put up a struggle anymore, but instead lies slack against the noose around his neck, legs barely able to balance himself upon the stool beneath.

No more fights, no more struggle, no more illusion…and Madara cannot be any angrier.

"I told you to  ** _fight_** me!" he roared, before he gave one swift kick and kicked off the stool beneath the victim's feet, causing the victim to drop abruptly and halt to a standstill, hands and legs giving one last tremble before they lay still forever.

Madara stares – stares at the battered and bruised body of some unknown shinobi he had never seen before in his entire life, hanging from a black cord from the ceiling and wonders how he could have done this. He, the strong and powerful heir to the Uchiha clan, committing such a shameful, barbaric act. How could he…?

He collapsed, spent, on the floor as guilt and shame washes over his figure, and resigns himself into a corner of the room, refusing to look at the monstrosity before him as his mind attempted to work around how he could possibly be the perpetrator of such an obscene act.

The door slides open and he looks up – looks up to see his younger brother Izuna staring down at him, and he recognizes that look. Izuna pities him, and if there is something that Madara cannot take, it is other people's pity.

Feeling a sudden rage, Madara springs up like a wild cat, baring his teeth at Izuna, "What is it? Stop giving me that look, I don't  ** _need_**  your  ** _pity_** , brother!"

"Yes indeed you don't, aniki. You need **_help_** ," replies Izuna, his tone calm and almost admonishing as he stares fearlessly back at his brother.

"You don't tell me what to do Izuna! You forget who it is who raised you, trained with you, protected you, gave up his friendship because of  ** _you_**!"

Izuna nearly flinches at Madara's accusing tone at the last part, but refuses to back down as he eyes his brother calmly as he would a raging predator.

It nearly breaks Izuna's heart, to see Madara's eyes widen and it is as though Izuna is looking into the soul of an eight-year-old Madara, the one who skipped stones and daydreamed about an unattainable peace between men.

"Look at me, otouto…look at me and tell me I'm not a monster…" comes Madara's soft whisper as he stares back with ghoulish eyes set in deep sockets behind strands of midnight blue hair.

"You're not a monster, aniki…you're my aniki, and that's all that matters to me," said Izuna as he comes forward and embraces Madara in a warm, protective hug.

"You don't have to bear everything alone, that's what I am here for…" he whispers into Madara's trembling form within his arms, desperately wishing that he was the older brother instead of Madara. In times like these, he thinks Madara especially weak to his feelings for Hashirama and he sees how it grates upon Madara and his strong duty towards his clan, sees how it makes Madara an awful mess of emotions in the privacy of his room where no other Uchiha can see exactly how much sacrifice their heir had to make for them.

That wasn't to say Izuna wasn't weak in his own feelings for Toka. But unlike Madara, he had the benefit of not knowing Toka on a much deeper level for a prolonged period of time, unlike Hashirama and Madara, who spent almost a year playing and sharing their dreams together like they were brothers and lovers in another life.

Izuna's eyes wander off to the hanging corpse a few meters away, and a sinking feeling enters his heart as he wonders if he was that much different from his brother after all. If given a chance, he would claim her in the only way he knew how, in blood-riddled lust and hatred. He was a man, after all, and as warriors who were trained to be disciplined upon the battlefield, sexual release inevitably ended up becoming very violent in the privacy of their own space.

"Aniki, let it go. Hashirama is going to be married to the Uzumaki princess, and there is  _ **nothing**_  you can do about it without bringing the entire clan into trouble," said Izuna as he stroked Madara's back soothingly.

"I know, otouto…" came Madara's muffled reply. Then a sigh.

Before at last, the words came. "I'm tired."

"Why don't you look for a new love, aniki? The clan elders have been pushing our father about it, and Izumi seems like a really sweet girl…" proposes Izuna, but he stops short when he feels Madara's derisive laughter against his form.

"A new love? Otouto, if new loves were as easy as you say they are, I'd be a much happier man."

"Well, how would you know if you don't  ** _try_**?" counters Izuna, feeling a little angry at Madara's blatant disregard for clan interests.

"You know we're one of the most powerful in the clan, and it is our duty to sire the clan with more children to ensure our survival! Aniki, you may love someone else but you can't allow your love to meddle with such important clan affairs!" berated Izuna.

He feels Madara tighten up at his words, and knows an argument is coming.

Izuna shrugs internally.  ** _Let it come_**. If there was one thing that separated the two brothers, it was the degree to which they viewed certain clan matters like reproduction, and needless to say, Izuna was way more traditional in this aspect.

As expected, Madara straightens up and looks at Izuna. There was no sharingan but Izuna feels the anger behind his brother's onyx eyes. "Otouto…I don't deny that passing on the sharingan is essential to our clan's survival, but that doesn't give the elders a free pass for dictating what we should or shouldn't do! Look at them and how pompous they are, thinking they can control everything when they know nothing! There's  ** _no way_**  I will bow to their whims any time soon, and you shouldn't wait on it either."

With that, Madara stands to dress, all signs of the weak child gone as swiftly as they had come, and Izuna kneels there, muted.

"That is true, but the elders mean the best for the clan, and in this case, you have to admit they are right, aniki," says Izuna, putting on a soft pleading tone in hopes of persuading his brother.

Madara sighs and looks at Izuna in the way all older brothers look upon their younger sibling – with grudging affection and tenderness, and he smiles ruefully as he approaches Izuna and kneels beside him.

"Thank you for your concern otouto, it means a lot to me, but I just wish to establish myself as an independent leader from those elders, I don't want to be a mere puppet to their will like our father has become, you understand? One must have a strong vision to lead the clan into prosperity."

Izuna nods. Of course, Madara had always been a fighter, and Izuna knew he wasn't the bold strong-willed leader Madara was, instead preferring to serve rather than have the burden of leading. Although Izuna has no idea what vision Madara is talking about, but he trusts his brother enough to believe it is good.

Madara smiles again and embraces Izuna in thanks before leaving, and it is times when Madara is more tender like this that Izuna remembers Kazuhiko and how he would always envelop Izuna in hugs and kisses – an unending flow of affection that Madara could never master.

 _Probably explains his unconventional means of releasing his own form of affection_ , ponders Izuna as he rises up to dispose of the corpse.

 ** _Humans are such complicated beings, to say and believe in one thing but to feel another_** **,**  thinks Izuna as he cuts off the cord and places the body in a cloth sack he kept in Madara's room.

**_Look at aniki, look at me. Both of us love a Senju, but yet we truly say and believe that we hate the Senju and that they should be obliterated. Hypocrites, the lot of us. Hypocrites, really._ **

As he sets fire to the cloth sack with the most recent victim within it, Izuna inwardly sighs as he thinks about how he has to find a new victim for Madara's weekly release of pent up anger, sadness and sexual repression. Honestly, things would have been easier if Madara just found a decent woman to marry and he wouldn't be stuck doing all of these ugly chores.

As Izuna gazes into the hypnotic flames, his mind drifts to the Senju-Uzumaki alliance. It wasn't good news for the Uchiha and Toyotomi – and it was a big secret that the Senju were staunch allies of Toyotomi's rival Tokugawa. After reading the scroll, the Senju must have realized that they needed more allies in the war against Toyotomi's expansionist ambitions, and the Uzumaki were the perfect match. Their fuuinjutsu and life force were unrivaled, and combined with the Senju's monstrous chakra and masterful array of skills, the Uchiha had found themselves an even bigger threat.

There was no stopping it, this network of alliances the two sides were striving to build up – it was the only way forward, and the few ways Izuna could think of getting the edge above the enemy was through brute force and strength, and he knew where he ought to go to seek this mysterious strength.

His eyes settled in the direction of the Uchiha library. Besides housing literature on various subjects like genjutsu, medicine and military tactics, the library held a forbidden section that no one except head family members could access. And even then, it was strongly recommended for those who have laid eyes upon it to try and forget it – in other words, these were secrets not meant for anyone to see, but Izuna didn't care. If it meant protecting Madara and the Uchiha, he sure as hell would dive into the demons of the Uchiha clan's history and find that mysterious power to defeat their enemies and win this war.

* * *

**Uzushiogakure**

Love is a funny thing, Hashirama thinks.

One day you find yourself a lost and forlorn lover, pining after someone who will never love you the way he did again – not after all the bad blood that existed between their families for centuries. The next, you see a beacon of hope and light, a future of infinite possibilities, a new love that embraces you and washes away whatever self-doubt you may have had in the past.

Hashirama is an idealist and a hopeless romantic. It would have been a lie if he said he didn't love Madara – how could he not? The idyllic days spent together, knowing they were the only ones who shared the same willful dream no one else could understand. It had broken his heart, to see Madara turn on him that day, renounce their relationship and see loving onyx eyes transform into blood-red hatred that thirsted for revenge.

Love isn't meant to be painful, but with Madara, it always manages to be. The Uchiha was like an old scar – always out of sight but ever in mind, hurting you in places that shouldn't hurt anymore.

Looking at Madara now is like looking at a completely different person – gone was the boy with an ever ready smile and kind word for him, always giving snide comments that Hashirama knew was just his quirky way of affection. In its place was what every shinobi on the battlefield saw – a raging warlord of steel wrought in the most brutal of fires, a winged demon that set fields ablaze and stained the ground with the blood of his mortal enemies.

Hashirama doesn't understand how Madara could be so callous and it hurts.

 ** _Love whom you will, but marry your kind_**. That was what they all said.

 _Tragic,_  Hashirama thinks, to not be able to marry someone you love just because they are not of your own kind.

But from the day he laid eyes upon Mito, something changed. She didn't know it yet, but he knew she was exactly what he needed – a beacon of light, a sympathetic ear, a kind and brave heart, a lover, a wife, a companion…

No layers of silk and decorum could hide the loneliness and insecurity he saw in her face, and it was a loneliness that felt all too familiar, and in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to be there for her and wipe away that loneliness from her beautiful face.

 _"I hurt as much as you,"_  he tells her one day, and she only smiles and places a gentle hand upon his chest, a knowing look upon her face as she stares up at him with doe-like eyes.

 _"I know, but at least that makes the two of us,"_  she says, with a secret knowledge that came with the trappings of clan inheritance, and Hashirama is impressed.

Birds in gilded cages – that's what they were. Clan heirs lonely in the horrible burden of serving their clan in the midst of a raging bloody war. They had parts to play, roles to fulfill, and promises to keep. They were lonely, but at least they had each other, and somehow that made everything else seem all right.

**_Love whom you will, but marry your kind._ **

Hashirama is beginning to think she is someone he loves. She may not be the fearsome, cunning and street-smart kunoichi like Toka – in fact she was quite the opposite. Due to her sheltered upbringing, she still possessed that faith and naivety he shared in human nature, and her hunger for knowledge and the world was probably as much part of her personality as it was due to her awareness that she was a sheltered princess.

But that was fine. If anything, Hashirama knew he needed someone who wasn't psychologically spoiled by war, and she was perfect in whatever shortcomings she may have as a full-fledged warrior. In return, he reckoned exposure to the dark nature of his job would be exactly what Mito wanted.

He started out small, asking her out for walks along the peaceful stone bridges of Uzushiogakure and sharing his plans of peace with her. She somehow always managed to seem oddly amused, and offered words of encouragement and ideas he had never thought of before, and Hashirama wonders why he never met her earlier.

Next were flower crowns he always grew for her each time they met.

 _"Only the most beautiful crown for the most beautiful princess,"_  he'd always say.

 _"Nonsense, Hashirama. I'm the Queen, now make a better one for me,"_  she jokes, in the charmingly coy way only she manages to pull off without coming across as the demure princess she was brought up to be.

 _"Of course, you're my only queen_ ," he says, and means it.

Butsuma once slapped him over the head when he was caught daydreaming about Mito when he should be focusing on the upcoming battle plans as the Senju were expected to return to their base camp in a week. But Hashirama didn't care, and ignored the sly looks Tobirama and Toka threw his way. The past two weeks in Uzushiogakure was a fairytale picture book in itself – he could read the pages over and over and he would only fall more in love with Mito and the stories he knew he was going to write with her in the future.

When the Senju delegation left for their homeland, and Hashirama kissed Mito goodbye, he thought he saw a knowing look pass between Mito and Toka before he turned round to leave.

Both Hashirama and Mito didn't know it, but their marriage was to be more than a powerful political alliance that would change the tides of the war, a step closer towards peace and prosperity for Tokugawa and all the shinobi clans that pledged their allegiance to him.

Above, the sun was shining brightly amidst the backdrop of an azure blue sky – a promise of better things to come. However, Toka's keen senses picked out a presence behind her and whipped her head round just in time to see glowing red eyes disappear behind a line of thick bushes.

 ** _Strange_ ,** she thought.

As she turned to meet Tobirama's gaze, his eyes told her she was not the only one to sense it, and that it was not her imagination.

 _Trouble_. That was what it was – and Toka couldn't shake off the creeping feeling that made her hairs stand on end as she stared at the spot where the red eyes used to be.

 _Something wicked this way comes_.

* * *

**End Notes:**

I wanted to show the differences in which Hashirama and Madara deal with their love and "break-up" with each other in this chapter and voila! While Madara has a stronger tendency to cling on to the past, Hashirama, despite all his dorkiness an idealism realizes that he needs a positive influence and healthier love in his life. Throughout the Manga, Kishi has been showing a stark contrast in the different attitudes and beliefs of people by using Madara/Sasuke and Hashirama/Naruto as foils to each other.

And the phrase " ** _Love whom you will but marry your kind_** " is from Harper Lee's  ** _Go Set a Watchman_**. I think it encapsulates the Senju-Uzumaki Alliance perfectly and how relationships work in real life – "the one" is sometimes not your soul mate or the one you may have loved the most, but someone whom you can be comfortable with and build a meaningful life together. In the warring states context, it is thus easier to achieve a successful relationship with those of "your kind" then. And I believe in the manga, Hashirama also recognized that and made a conscious decision to love Mito too.

So yes, ultimately love is a conscious decision we all have to make, and Hashirama is no exception. Similarly for Izuna and Toka, they can love each other deep down inside, but given those circumstances, marrying anyone other than your own kind was a dream few managed to achieve…but oh well, who knows?


	11. Mangekyou Sharingan

Madara and Izuna attain the  ** _Mangekyou Sharingan_** , and the seeds of the  ** _Flying Thunder God_**  technique form in Tobirama's mind as the Senju prepare to engage in a ceasefire agreement with the Uchiha.

**Characters:**  Madara, Izuna, Toka, Tobirama, Mito

* * *

Everyone knew that Senju Butsuma and Uchiha Tajima were evenly matched foes, and that they would be the death of each other. What no one expected was for both of them to kill each other on the exact same day at the exact same moment.

There was only a muted silence as both Uchiha and Senju shinobi ceased their attacks on each other to stare at Butsuma and Tajima, each staring fearlessly at each other with two bloodied blades impaled through their bodies – their final blows.

Connected by blood and perishing in blood, that was the Uchiha and Senju.

"Otou-san…" whispered Madara, his figure frozen as he stared at Tajima, watching his father cough out blood and release his hold on the sword he drove into Butsuma as he stepped unsteadily back.

Without a moment's hesitation, Madara leapt forward and caught his father, cradling him as he would an infant. Izuna appeared beside him and the two Uchiha brothers gazed at the fading light in their father's eyes.

"My sons…you have grown into very fine and outstanding warriors, and I cannot be more proud of you…"

He weakly grasps Madara and Izuna's hands, smearing blood upon their knuckles as he heaves, the blood filling his lungs as he struggled to breathe, and Madara looks on, barely registering what Tajima said. He knew his father would die in battle – it was just part of the job, but in Madara's mind, his father was a godlike figure amongst the Uchiha, using his shrewdness and military prowess to bring the Uchiha to greater heights. Seeing this legend of a man perishing slowly before him seemed surreal to Madara despite knowing that this time would come.

"There's only one thing left for me to do…"

Izuna tensed up, this was it.

" **Kill me. Now**."

The two Uchiha brothers stare at Tajima, and Madara is disbelieving and his mind a hurricane of emotions as he squeezes Tajima's hand, "No otou-san! That's  ** _unthinkable!_** "

Tajima just smiles weakly, "Don't be like that, Madara. I want to give you power, and this is one way that I can grant it to you and Izuna…so that you can protect and bring pride to our clan…to the Uchiha name…"

Desperation is evident in Tajima's eyes as he feels his life slipping away slowly, hoping to bequeath this gift upon his sons before he passes.

There was a tense moment of silence as Madara stopped to contemplate the plea and burden Tajima wished to place upon his shoulders. There was no denying that more power was needed in the face of the growing Senju-Uzumaki alliance, but in that short space of time, killing his father, his own kin for the sake of the greater good was not a pill Madara could swallow that easily.

Seeing the conflicting emotions on his brother's face, Izuna places a reassuring hand on Madara's shoulder and squeezes, causing Madara to sigh heavily and the two brothers rise, resolute in their misery as they each draw their swords, the noonday sun glinting sinisterly off the polished blades.

It was over in a blink of an eye, and there was a solemn silence as the Uchiha shinobi around observed a moment of respectful silence for the passing of their great leader.

Izuna's eyes burn as his heart twists along with the swift movements of his blade, and it hurt even more than the time Kazuhiko was killed – it was as though every nerve in his head was set on liquid fire, and it burned.

**_Guilty. I'm a criminal_** , thought Izuna.

He had planned this, planned Tajima's death for two years now. But what was he to do? He had snuck into the Uchiha library to read through the scrolls in the forbidden section and discovered a mysterious power greater than that of the ordinary Sharingan.

**_Mangekyou_** , they had called it.

But it came at a steep price, and that price came in the form of Tajima. There was no one else. Their mother and brothers were long gone, and Tajima was the only kin they had left. Initially, Izuna had been very hesitant and torn between this need for power and the love and respect he had for Tajima. It took a good one and a half years to convince himself that the greater good of the clan came before his duty and filial piety as a son, and another half a year to ready his mind when he cast a genjutsu upon Tajima without him knowing to induce him to lose the battle against Butsuma and ask his sons to kill him.

**_Exactly as planned_**. It was a perfect execution. Now it was just about seeing the perfect results, and Izuna's heart thumped wildly as he turned to look at Madara.

Instead of the three tomoe of the ordinary Sharingan, now there were three circles around Madara's iris – a curious shape, and Izuna knew his plan had succeeded.

**_Would nii-san hate me if he knew I did this? Or would he understand that I'm only doing this for the good of the clan?_ **

These thoughts kept running through Izuna's mind as he blankly embraced Madara, hardly registering the shocked looks on the Senju shinobi's faces as Hashirama quickly took Butsuma to safety for emergency treatment, Tobirama following on his heels.

Izuna raised his eyes to look, and his gaze was locked onto Toka as she stared back at him with those beautiful aquamarine eyes. Disgust, mixed with horror and trepidation reflected in her eyes as she took in Izuna's new Sharingan.

Izuna continued gazing back at her, and despite the battle being officially over, the threat and blood-red lust in his eyes, daring her to make a move was enough for Toka to eventually avert her gaze and leap away gracefully, calling her Senju shinobi to retreat back into the forests beyond.

Left alone with his Uchiha kin, Izuna and Madara began the solemn process of carrying their father's body back to their base camp, two figures in dark clothing that now started to take on a startlingly close resemblance to grim reapers as their bloodied hands bore the weapons and corpses back to their final resting place.

* * *

**Senju Base Camp, 1 year later**

**Cursed, the Uchiha were cursed**. Tobirama was now convinced of that as he saw his fellow Senju being consumed in those inextinguishable flames that Izuna called "Amaterasu". The stench of burning flesh and anguished, bloodcurdling cries wafted over to Tobirama in his vivid recollection of the battle with the Uchiha earlier that day.

"Those eyes, they're not normal," he says, voicing out his thoughts to Toka.

Toka merely nodded in agreement. Ever since that day, the Uchiha brothers had gained immense power and their eyes had totally transformed. She would never forget the queer bars that extended from Izuna's iris as he stared back at her – mourning, hatred and bloodlust reflected in those pools of crimson and it had taken all the nerve in her body to hold his gaze a moment longer before turning away.

Since then, the Uchiha brothers were a mightier foe than anyone else the Senju had ever faced. It was as if Madara and Izuna were gifted with divine powers from their ancestor Indra himself – in place of the usual blazing orange flames were the black sinister flames called Amaterasu that could never be extinguished and continued burning everything it touched for three days. Never before had the Senju seen anything like it, and it scared them – this immutable power the Uchiha had.

Strange things started happening on the battlefield too. For no reason, some Senju shinobi would suddenly go into a mad frenzy and start screaming or flailing around before they plunged a sword into their bowels or another Uchiha shinobi did the job for them. It didn't take long for Toka to realize it was Madara and Izuna's doing – and took extra precautions never to look into their eyes.

Thankfully, Madara was mainly preoccupied with Hashirama and Izuna with Tobirama, leaving Toka relatively safe from the greater ministrations of the Uchiha brothers, whose new powers had spread far and wide and even struck fear into countless shinobi clans aside from the Senju. Rumours had already begun to spread that the Uchiha brothers were really tengu themselves, or were visited by the great Tengu king himself and sold their souls in exchange for extraordinary power.

As sensors, Tobirama and Toka did not miss the drastically colder and sinister nature of Madara and Izuna's chakra – demonic chakras that flared and ate away with an alarming strength and monstrosity that Tobirama had to dull his sensory skills a bit to avoid the chills that were running down his spine each time he locked blades with Izuna. It was no surprise to both Tobirama and Toka that many believed the Uchiha brothers to be Tengu themselves.

"He scares me now," Toka whispers softly as she runs a stroke down the parchment in front of her.

Tobirama gives his cousin a sharp look, an uneasy feeling coiling around his chest. He knew Toka was afraid of Izuna, and alarmed by his sudden power, and rightfully so – because he himself was too. However, having known Toka for so many years had made him finely attuned to the underlying tones she unconsciously used and that reflected her inner feelings. It would have been non-existent or negligible to outsiders and even Hashirama and Takeshi, but Tobirama was a perceptive man, and he knew there was something more than fear in Toka's voice.

"Indeed he should," Tobirama says as he crosses his arms across his chest.

"I think you know something more about him, Toka what is it?"

Toka pauses in her writing and looks up at Tobirama, one eyebrow quirked up but the rest of her face remained impassive and unreadable.

Not to Tobirama though. He could read her like an open book and he knew she was startled and uncomfortable.

"Don't give me that look Toka. We've known each other for what? Nineteen years since I entered this earth – there's nothing you can truly hide from me."

A cheshire smile worked its way onto Toka's face as she grinned slyly at Tobirama. While she maintained her impassive composure, it betrayed the raging emotions she felt within.

It scared her how well Tobirama knew her and how perceptive he was. In most circumstances, she considered it a good thing, like when it came to military strategies and figuring out the silent signals she sent his way on the battlefield. But this was different – Izuna was the enemy, and no one in their right mind told anyone about how they harbored secret pasts and feelings for the enemy, even if that person was their family.

"Getting cocky now, aren't we, little cousin?" and she lays down the brush in her hands.

Tobirama continues eyeing her, refusing to back down from what he deemed worthy of further investigation.

"No, just being justifiably curious," he replies coolly. If she wished to play this game of denial with him, he would make sure she learnt a hard lesson. Nothing stood in between him and information that could potentially help or harm the Senju.

Toka sighed. She had started the game, but Tobirama had now decided to set the match – and she knew there was great uncertainty in her winning it.

**_The Middle Ground, then_** , Toka thought.

"It's just that I can't help but feel that their power is fuelled by hatred…the more powerful they become, the more cold and insidious their chakra and eyes become," she starts, hoping this astute observation would detract Tobirama from what she really felt.

Well, it  ** _was_**  related to how she truly felt so she wasn't lying. Despite her best intentions, she couldn't hide the sinking feeling she got each time Izuna looked at her and his eyes became increasingly more murderous and terrifying…the power that oozed from his form and surrounded him like a black cloak was something else – something to hurt and break, and Toka knew that Izuna wanted to break her.

For himself or for his clan, she wasn't sure, but she knew she was always within his mind's eye despite him being mostly preoccupied with Tobirama and clan leadership matters.

It was…  **romantic** , in a terrifying and morbid way.

Tobirama seemed satisfied enough with her answer, because the next thing he said was "That was what I observed too. It does make sense, seeing how hatred drives humans to avenge their loved ones. But I've never seen any other clan where their power is positively correlated to the amount of hatred they hold…"

"One thing is for certain though, we need stronger techniques to defeat this new power the Uchiha have," says Toka, eager to pounce on Tobirama's analytical train of thought and avoid any suspicions or questions he may still have.

Tobirama looks at her and she smiles, "Didn't you mention you had this space-time technique concept in mind? I know you haven't worked the kinks out or how to operationalize it, but I know Mito will help. Remember the power transfer technique she did on me?"

Tobirama smiled. Ah yes, he remembered. It had proven extremely useful in countless battles when he was tied up with Izuna and Toka swiftly passed them by, touching him and transferring more chakra or her faster regenerative abilities to him so that he could better hold his own against the enemy.

Many of the Senju elders were initially skeptical on whether Mito would be an asset to the war effort due to her sheltered upbringing and inexperience in battle, but they were soon proven wrong when she started inventing fuuinjutsu techniques that exponentially increased their current attacks and capabilities – and for that, she had earned a huge amount of love and respect amongst the Senju clan.

Toka was right – he was currently stuck and he needed Mito's insight and creativity to help bring his space-time concept into fruition.

"You're right, Toka. Thank you for the suggestion. We should go find her now, wanna come?"

Toka nodded and together the two Senju cousins left in search of Mito – Toka blissfully relieved that she had gotten Tobirama off her trail.

Unknown to her, Tobirama still had his suspicions – he hadn't missed her changing the trajectory of the conversation, which only pointed towards one thing, as crazy as it sounded…

His cousin Toka was in love with Izuna. How that happened he didn't know – but if it was true, he needed to strap her to a chair and interrogate her about it.

* * *

**En Route to the Land of Iron**

It was a particularly hot summer, and despite it being pretty unwise, Mito had insisted that the blinds to her carriage be drawn up as she fanned herself silly, her skin glistening with sweat as she struggled to survive this choking heat.

"I wish someone invented a wind jutsu that will relieve the heat rather than one used for attack and defense," grumbled Toka as she rummaged through the cloth bundle on her lap for a fan.

"If I had more spare time, I would totally do that," agreed Mito, "it's such a pity creativity these days are used for war rather than for more meaningful things."

Finally finding a fan, Toka started fanning herself, grateful for the cool relief against her skin as she stared at Mito – hot, grumpy and out of her element.

"You know, for once, you don't look poised or elegant at all – quite the opposite actually," laughed Toka as she took in the messy lines on Mito's dress and the material sticking to her skin.

**_"Hah!"_**  Mito gave a deep-throated laugh as she pulled her dress up further and put her legs up, "perks of being a shinobi's wife, I guess."

Toka smiled. Initially she was worried Mito wouldn't adapt well to the more basic and nomadic lifestyle of the Senju, but she had learned and adapted surprisingly fast and well – ditching her regal clothing for more comfortable and simple clothes and exhibiting more common habits like putting her legs unceremoniously up on the seat opposite her.

"I wonder what the Land of Iron looks like – I've only ever heard of it but I've never seen it – not even in picture books!" mused Mito as she looked out the window, taking in the misty blue mountains beyond and the green expanse of fields and meadows outside.

The Senju were participating in an armistice agreement with the Uchiha – something absolutely unexpected and unheard of, given the intensity and history of enmity between the two clans. But things had changed since Madara and Izuna struck fear into the hearts of many, and Tokugawa had urged the Senju to negotiate for pacts and temporary ceasefires while he attempted to appease Toyotomi.

**_Détente_**. The Senju were to be on détente with the Uchiha as they use the peaceful downtimes to re-organize themselves. The Uchiha and their allies were proving too powerful, and Tokugawa knew it was time to appear humble and submissive to Toyotomi by proclaiming himself a vassal of the latter – when really it was a red herring tactic to buy more time and allies.

The war was far from over, and this détente was just another in a long string of battles that was sure to continue once Tokugawa successfully acquired more political allies and armies under his wing. The upcoming armistice agreement was to be held at the Land of Iron, the homeland of the Samurai, who were seen as the neutral noble forces to mediate the negotiations between the Senju and Uchiha.

The Senju had brought along their best shinobi but wisely dressed themselves as servants and were currently pretending that they were escorting some important noblewoman back to her palace. Despite the animosity between rivaling landlords and daimyo, there was a widely known pact never to attack nobility who were traveling en route to their destination. Mito and Toka were in the bright horse-drawn carriage, sitting over the secret stash of weapons and explosives the Senju disguised as sophisticated seats.

"I've never visited the Land of Iron too," said Toka, "but I highly doubt it's gonna be as interesting or beautiful as Uzushiogakure."

"Oh tosh, Toka! You're being too kind and besotted with my homeland!" giggled Mito.

"No I'm serious, Mito! Have you seen those samurai? Bunch of straight, boring soldiers who think they're mightier than us. Nah, I don't think their homeland is going to be that interesting," retorted Toka.

Mito shrugged, indifferent. Everything seemed interesting given how she'd lived in Uzushiogakure her entire life until a mere year ago.

"I just hope they've got good ramen there!" Mito says, baring her teeth in a cheeky smile.

Toka's heart sank upon hearing those words.

**Ramen**. Yes, if there was anything the Uzumaki princess seemed to eat and can never get tired of, it was ramen. Toka still remembered the shock on Hashirama and Tobirama's faces when the Uzumaki delegation arrived with Mito, bearing her belongings, wedding gifts, and an entire carriage of ramen soup bases and ingredients.

Needless to say, the ramen carriage was bigger than the rest of the gifts and clothes combined. There had also been times when poor Hashirama was hard put and had to stop his trainings with Tobirama to find some chili padi in the Senju gardens so that Mito could have her spicy flavored ramen – fortunately or unfortunately, those happened only once a month, when Mito was on her period.

"Yes, I hope they do too," said Toka.

**_Or Hashirama is going to be so sleep-deprived from your constant tantrums and demands for ramen_** , she thinks, shivering slightly at the memory of Hashirama's worried and frenzied state when the Senju clan once ran out of ramen and Mito so conveniently happened to be on her period.

For a while, as Mito prattles on like a young schoolgirl about all the interesting things she wants to see and do in the Land of Iron, Toka is able to enjoy herself in Mito's company and she almost forgets that there is an armistice pact happening soon.

However, when the Senju delegation draw near to the Land of Iron, and the carriage is thrown into darkness from the tall shadows of the Samurai stronghold, Toka snaps out from her dream and a chilly dread begins to fill her very bones.

**Izuna**. She was going to see Izuna in a non-battle situation, and she's not sure if she can handle being in the same small confined space with the likes of him and his brother for more than a minute without puking or running away. Their presence and chakra on the battlefield were already astounding and on par with Hashirama and Tobirama's god-like presence, so she cannot imagine them being in such close proximity without the possibility of her fainting.

Then of course, there was Izuna's gaze – the kind that cut to the very core and tore down all pretenses and walls you placed around yourself. And Toka is brought back to that night almost four years ago when she snuck into the Uchiha compound and Izuna saw right through her. All-seeing, all-knowing and all-wanting, and Toka fights down a shiver as Mito grins excitedly out the window, oblivious to Toka's internal turmoil.

* * *

**End Notes:**

I've always believed that Madara and Izuna were not the first ones to awaken the Mangekyou, as Itachi had mentioned before. These secrets to power were discovered over time and most probably hidden to prevent anyone from going to such great lengths to achieve that power. Unfortunately, Izuna didn't allow that to deter him from gaining an advantage over his enemies for the sake and survival of his clan.

In the era of the Cold War, the period of  **détente**  started after the Cuban Missile Crisis when the USA and USSR came  ** _this_**  close to engaging in a nuclear war and decided to tone down the level of outright conflict between them by creating a mutual "hotline" and signing more nuclear pacts to prevent  **Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD for short).**  Similarly, I'd imagine the Uchiha and Senju were in the same position where even though they wanted to win, they knew that they had to tone things down at some points in time or they would destroy themselves from fatigue eventually.

 


	12. Chapter 12

The Uchiha and Senju come to an uneasy ceasefire, and Izuna and Toka meet again in the most unexpected of circumstances with the most unexpected of results.

**Characters** : Izuna, Toka, Tobirama, Madara, Hashirama

* * *

**Himeji Castle, 1594**

**_Elegance, prudence and honor._**  The whole castle was full of it, Izuna muses, as he takes in the polished wood and neat lines and rectangles of the entire structure, from the wooden beams to the table at which both the Uchiha and Senju were currently seated at.

Seated right at the centre of the table was none other than Toshiro Mifune, a famous samurai warlord who controlled vast amounts of land and managed to keep his peasants and civilians prosperous and peaceful by remaining a neutral party and middleman between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa factions around him. No one was more suited to chair the ceasefire pact between the Senju and Uchiha other than him.

As expected of a true samurai, Mifune was dressed in formal dark robes and he carried a certain wise and noble air about him that was hardly ever seen on the more typical rugged and ruthless shinobi, and it was times like these that Izuna truly felt a profound sense of respect and slight awe for the samurai – they were indeed knights of a higher order who had a very strange code of honor that regular shinobi like him could never understand.

"Now we can finally proceed with the signing of the agreement," announced Mifune, his voice resonating clearly across the room.

Beside him, a clerk steps up and unrolls a scroll with newly minted words upon them and there is a moment of tense silence as all eyes settle on the agreement.

It had taken a couple of hours for the Senju and Uchiha representatives to negotiate, or more aptly, bargain the terms of agreement. It was a very tedious and painful process, seeing Madara and two senior ranking Uchiha elders engage in this barter with Hashirama and two other senior ranking Senju elders. Behind Hashirama, lined loyally against the wall were Tobirama, Toka and Mito.

Izuna's eyes rested slightly on Mito for a while as he took in her crimson red hair, beautiful face, and regal poise and mannerisms.  ** _So this is the Uzumaki princess who was wedded to Hashirama_** …truth be told, when Izuna first saw her hours ago when both clans entered the meeting room, he was surprised to see such a refined woman. He had expected Hashirama to choose a more hardy, battle-worn and experienced kunoichi to augment the fighting capabilities of the Senju, but apparently Hashirama seemed more interested in women who appeared closer to wallflowers than female warriors.

Madara had been a little taken aback as well, and Izuna was grateful that in the two years since news of Hashirama's marriage had reached the Uchiha, Madara had managed to recover from the disappointment of it all – Izuna guessed it was also due to resignation and a profound sense of purpose in changing the Uchiha leadership that helped Madara regain his senses again. It had been good so far, how Madara managed to negotiate with Hashirama, look squarely at him in the eye in a professional manner that betrayed no hint that both of them were rivals and enemies on the battlefield.

"Please review the agreement, and if all is well, you may proceed to sign it," said Mifune, snapping Izuna out of his musings.

He watched as Mifune passed the scroll to the Uchiha, and Madara and the elders took their time to read through all the terms carefully. It appeared that they were satisfied, and Madara lifted the seal beside him from its ink pad and stamped on the bottom corner of the scroll, leaving a glistening black mark with the outline of the Uchiha fan in its wake.

Mifune then passed the scroll over to the Senju, who also took their time to carefully review what was written on the agreement – that it was exactly as they had agreed upon for the past few hours.

Izuna took this opportunity to let his eyes glide silently and covertly to Toka, who was standing at the back in a powdery blue kimono – simple in design yet undeniably beautiful on her, as it complemented her eyes and gave her a most refreshing look. Izuna had long been used to seeing her in shapeless armor that it had taken utmost effort to stop himself from gaping at her, and resorted instead to fleeting glances in her direction, hoping no one would notice.

Unknown to him, Tobirama did notice – how could he not? After Toka's avoidance of his questions, Tobirama had taken special care to monitor the interactions between Toka and Izuna, and in the past few hours of observation, he concluded that both of them were definitely lovers.

Well, perhaps not lovers, but paramours – if that made sense.

If anyone had bothered to look, they would have seen Izuna's roaming eyes, and as a sensor, Tobirama did not miss the chakra signals the two were sending across the room. Both Izuna and Toka's chakras were giving off a guarded signal, and yet Izuna's seemed to flay whenever he looked at Toka, and Tobirama was shocked to sense admiration and desire enamating from his form. Toka's, on the other hand, appeared tightly wound like a spool that refused to be unwound - tense, self-conscious and guarded. If Tobirama didn't know any better, he would have thought their chakras belonged to two estranged lovers.

The question that plagued Tobirama's mind now was how on earth this could have happened. Izuna and Toka only met on the battlefield, and as far as he knew, Toka was almost always with him and her Senju battalion 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  ** _"They couldn't possibly have any opportunity to meet without killing each other – or did they?"_**

Tobirama frowned slightly, but was broken out of his reverie when he heard Hashirama stamp the Senju seal on the agreement, and feels a sense of relief wash over the room as Mifune collects the agreement and thanks both clans for their time and cooperation.

Sure, it was a ceasefire agreement, and it was good that the clans would cease fighting temporarily and use the time to recuperate, but Tobirama was too shrewd a politician and shinobi to believe that the Senju and Uchiha would uphold their end of the treaty. There were too many loopholes in the terms of agreement that Tobirama  ** _knew_**  they were going to exploit.

**_If you can't do it right, do it left._**  That's how it worked with laws and agreements.

As Tobirama stares at the scroll, his sharp sight catches the lines and strokes and runs through the terms in his mind.

"The following terms of agreement is made between the Uchiha and Senju clans on the date of 13 June 1594, and will hold for a period of three months from the signing of this agreement. The parties involved shall adhere to the terms of the agreement as follows:

(1) No acceptance of battles or jobs that would pit them directly in battle with each other

**_No, but our allies can. And I bet the Uchiha have been plotting to use the Kaguya against our allies the Uzumaki for some time if my intelligence is correct._ **

(2) No attack on messengers and envoys from each side

**_Oh yes, that's a given, but I highly doubt "sedative gas" would be considered an "attack" in the conventional understanding of the word, would it?_ **

(3) No attack on each other's base camps

**_Guessed they conveniently left out the part where they can get their allies to help do the dirty job. It's a war of alliances now._ **

Tobirama inwardly snorts, derisive. Honestly, what was the point of it all? Sure, it stopped outright fighting but it just intensified the covert tactics both clans were going to use against each other in the fight for dominance, and it annoyed Tobirama to think that this was pretty much all a farce to appease Tokugawa as he rounded up more allies.

That is all that runs through his mind as he sees the glistening black of the Uchiha and Senju symbols upon the parchment, silent and mocking in their seeming peaceful coexistence beside each other.

* * *

It is night when Tobirama finds himself being dragged out of the castle by Hashirama and Takeshi, both eager for some celebratory drinks to commemorate the success of the treaty and enjoy the lull in intensive battles with the Uchiha, no matter how short.

"No, the both of you are just going to end up pissed drunk, and I don't want to be the one carrying two blabbering witless idiots home," he protests, as Hashirama latches onto his arm.

Toka only laughs, and places a comforting hand on his chest, "Oh come on Tobirama, you should learn how to lighten up a little more. Life is too short for you to be  ** _so serious_**  all the time!"

"Yeah, exactly otouto! Look at your face, one would think you're  ** _thirty_**  instead of nineteen!" agreed Hashirama enthusiastically, and his eyes hold a bright spark that Toka knew only meant that he was looking forward to getting smashed.

Well, it  ** _would_**  save her the trouble of lugging back two drunk idiots if Tobirama went with Hashirama and Takeshi.

"Yes, do me a favor and go with them, Tobi," pleads Toka and kisses him deftly on the cheek, causing Tobirama to glare indignantly at her.

He  ** _knew_**  it was only because she wanted to push the burden of two drunkards on him, and hell, all he wanted to do now was to interrogate her on her relationship with Izuna! Not listen to Hashirama and Takeshi talk about silly stuff like  ** _"oh look at the size of that woman's boobs over there"_** , or snarky plans on crashing the women's bath – which he wouldn't be surprised if they did if they were drunk and high enough.

It had happened before, after Hashirama lost a game of Poker and was dared to sneak into the female baths to scare the women – unfortunately for him, one of the women at the baths so happened to be the wife of their patron Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the Senju clan spent a good couple of months receiving less fees for each mission to show their penitence for their leader's incredulous and obscene act.

But it was too late, and there was nothing he could do when a hyped up Hashirama and conniving Toka were out to get him, and so he found himself being unceremoniously dragged by the feet towards the entertainment district of the Land of Iron, groaning at the prospect of carrying two drunk men through the streets and forever tarnishing the reputation of the Senju leaders as being respectable, controlled shinobi.

If there was a curse the Senju carried, Tobirama was sure it was the curse of excess and witlessness in the most formidable of their men like his brother, and he started forming plans on dumping Hashirama into the coldest lake around the area later on when Hashirama was indeed pissed drunk as hell.

When that happens, Tobirama thinks, the gods help his brother once Mito sees him half naked and reeking of alcohol.

* * *

**Koko-en Garden, Himeji**

The summer wind was cool and refreshing against Toka's skin, and she was grateful for the relief it provided from the intense, withering heat of the day as she strolled into the nearby gardens of the palace, admiring the distinct aesthetics of the samurai nobility as she took in the silvery waters of the pond nearby and the fragrant peonies in full bloom.

It was so rare to have such quiet and peaceful moments to herself, and she breathed in, hard and full, the sweet aroma of the flora in the garden and sweet scent of the air as she revels in this hard-attained moment of peace and quiet.

But it was not to last, as she immediately sensed a foreign, yet distinctly familiar presence approach her – just about ten metres away, striding purposefully and silently towards her, no masking of chakra, and most importantly, unlike normal situations, no evil intentions or malice detected in his godlike presence.

Turning round, Toka saw none other than Uchiha Izuna standing upon the steps leading to the garden, the eaves of the roof obscuring half his face in the shadow of the moonlight.

"Hello, Toka," he begins pleasantly, "it's been a long time since we last had some time to engage in…private conversation."

**_Private conversation indeed_**. Toka is starting to wonder if he's such a superb sensor and tracker as to choose a time and place wherein he knew they would be the only ones around with no one within a sizeable radius from the garden. But she pushed those thoughts out of her head as genuine curiosity fills her senses. It must be important, for him to actually do that – could it be related to the treaty?

But she knows it's for something entirely different, and wishes she didn't know.

Sensing no malice from him, she allows herself to take a good look at him as he steps forward, revealing his whole form under the silvery glow of the moonlight.

He had grown a lot taller over the years, and was now half a head taller than her. His body no longer held the lankiness of adolescence, but the lean and taut musculature of a battle-hardened man – even the way he walked, soundless and purposeful, was as sleek and graceful as a cat.  ** _Perfect for assassination_** , Toka thinks, unable to help herself.

However, what really caught Toka's attention for the briefest of moments was the sheer beauty of his face – she still remembered the angelic face that rescued her on the beach years ago, and the contrast between that and the sharp, patrician lines of Izuna's face was astounding. Izuna's eyes were a dark onyx that reflected the velvety black skies above, framed by thick and long eyelashes – if there was one person who encapsulated "devilishly handsome", it was Izuna. Looking at him was like looking at a black hawk that was absolutely beautiful, dangerous and hypnotizing – whilst knowing that it would swoop in for the kill at any time as you got lost in its predatory gaze.

So she stopped looking, and instead focused her gaze on the strong, pale columnade of his neck, just in case he activated his Sharingan in front of her.

**_Because one must always be careful with the devil, no matter how beautiful or charming he may be._ **

"What do you want, Izuna?" she demands softly and hoped she didn't come across as too hostile. She must not aggravate him unnecessarily.

Izuna chuckled lowly as he stopped a small distance away from her.

"You and Tobirama are just so alike sometimes, always about business," comes Izuna's lilting laugh, "I'm just here to talk to an old acquaintance, that's all. It's just so rare for us to have the opportunity to talk without killing each other, don't you think?"

Toka remains silent, unsure and uncomfortable about the words he had just spoken.

Feeling her anxiety, Izuna sighs, "Since you are so comfortable talking business, why don't we start with that, eh? We may have a ceasefire treaty, but you know full well that the war will continue and intensify after that – in which case, I strongly suggest that you and your clan surrender and submit to Toyotomi as your patron."

**_Now this is comfortable conversation._ **

"If you are here to persuade the Senju to surrender, I am afraid you are wasting your time and putting too much faith in your abilities…" retorts Toka.

There is a tense moment of silence as she realizes the provocativeness of her last sentence, and she is surprised when Izuna doesn't seem to take offense but shrugged it off instead.

"I don't blame you Senju – you don't have the power and foresight to see what we see… No matter how many allies you and Tokugawa have planned to join your cause, you will never win against the power of our eyes," says Izuna simply, like it was a sure fact that he casually mentioned on the street.

And Toka, incredulous at this pride and insult to her clan, glares at him in unconcealed disgust and indignation.  ** _Who was this man to think that he can win the war? Sure he has the Mangekyou Sharingan, but he doesn't know just how capable Tokugawa can be! Such arrogance, it's disgusting!_**

It is as though Izuna can read Toka's degrading thoughts about him, because within a split-hair of a second, she feels Izuna's cold, malicious chakra unraveling in an open-faced threat as he walks slowly towards her.

Wary and afraid, Toka tenses up but stays put where she is, unwilling to show weakness in front of him, and shifts into a defensive stance. He was crazy if he wanted to attack her right after their clans signed a ceasefire treaty, but if that was what he wanted, she would love to give him the biggest fight of his life.

"Afraid now, aren't we?" grins Izuna smugly as he stops a couple of steps away from her, "looks like you are all talk and no bite."

Unable to contain her anger any longer, Toka lifts her eyes up to look at Izuna squarely in the eyes, unafraid, and encouraged by the fact that he hasn't activated his dreaded Sharingan yet.

"You and your brother are just  ** _monsters_** ," she hisses venomously.

She hit a raw spot, and she knew it – because Izuna instantly darkened and the smile on his face faded to reveal an open-toothed grin that was meant to threaten more than to express amusement. And for a moment, Toka feels like she is but mere prey before a tenacious giant hawk, with Izuna's glinting white teeth the sharp beak that was poised to tear her flesh apart.

She knew,  ** _everybody knew_** , that the Uchiha were the cursed descendants of their ancestor Otsutsuki Indra. Rumor had it that after losing the battle against his younger brother Ashura, Indra's boiling hatred had become so potent that it began to magically transform him into a fearsome Tengu **[1]**  that wrought death and destruction wherever he went.

Needless to say, this legendary shadow of power had followed the Uchiha for centuries, and many misfortunes that happened throughout history had been dismissed by many a folk that said,  ** _"Ah, it must be the Uchiha and their ghost at work again."_**  Fortunately or unfortunately, with the awakening of the Mangekyou Sharingan, the brothers had fanned the flames of ire and fear behind the legend, and many believed that Madara and Izuna were the reincarnated forms of their ancestor Indra.

"And what do you know about monsters, Toka?" says Izuna, voice husky as he looks at her from half lidded eyes.

He takes one step closer, and Toka is suddenly aware of just how close he is to her.

"If that is true, and you believe all these rumors you hear Toka, then aren't your  ** _beloved_**  cousins monsters too?" continues Izuna as he slowly raises a hand towards her.

Now Toka was truly stunned – never did she think about it before, but now that Izuna mentioned it, there  _ **was**_  an uncomfortable truth in his words. She, like every other Senju and common folk on the street, were so fixated upon the evils of enemies like the Uchiha, labeling them as "monsters" when in actuality she and the Senju clan were also the "monsters" to their enemies.

For a moment, images of Hashirama, her idiotic and always cheerful cousin, killing shinobi in cold blood, impaling them through his wooden spears as a slightly crazed look filled his eyes flashed through Toka's mind, and she is  ** _numb_**. Numb with the realization of the truth that she had previously and blissfully ignored.

So numb, she didn't realize when Izuna had closed the gap between them and cupped her face gently with his right hand. She blinked, hardly able to register anything in her momentary shock as Izuna's handsome face gazed back down at her –his expression soft and pensive, instead of the cold and slightly murderous one he wore just mere seconds ago.

**_"Monsters are humans too,"_**  came Izuna's soft whisper, and she felt his hot breath brush against her cheek, soothing and alarming at the same time.

And she gazes back at him, in a trance, and follows his piercing gaze down to his left hand and gasps.

There, cupped snugly in his left hand, was the beautiful mother-of-pearl she had given him in thanks when he saved her life many years ago. It was luminous, and the silvery glow of the moonlight seemed to breathe life into the phantasmagoric swirls of blue, violet, gold and rose on its surface.

She glances back up at him, "You…you still remember?"

Breathless.

**_"Always,"_**  he replies, and Toka feels a strong arm wrap around her waist as she feels herself being drawn further into his embrace.

"Just one night, let us forget," he pleads, "just one night to let this monster be a human, if only to be in your eyes."

And she let him kiss her. And it shocks her, how gentle and soft his kiss is, like the fluttering of white camellia petals upon the water, deft and graceful.

It's so surreal and like a dream, Toka thinks, to kiss him like they were lovers under the full moon in a foreign land, where clan loyalties and bloody histories melted away in the face of the fires of their passion, dimmed and kept away for years only to blaze brightly tonight after so many years of repression.

As the flames grew brighter, so did their kiss as their tongues meet and dance in a dizzying battle, drowning their senses in an illusion of an unlimited, starry sky where they could roam across galaxies with their cosmic love, and the stars formed a magpie bridge **[2]**  in which they could always meet and consummate their deepest love and passions.

The stars, the moon, they all blazed bright within the night sky as Toka wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, ever closer to her deepest constellation of unspoken secrets and love and he feels like a lost star spinning out of his orbit as his hands find the parting in her kimono and runs his hands up her smooth, creamy legs. Legs that transformed into the most beautiful golden amber tail. Legs that he had always longed to caress and feel wrapped tightly around his hips as he drives into that sweet wetness whilst holding his beauty in his arms –never to be stripped away by conniving or vengeful men with hungry eyes and thieving hearts.

It was cosmic,  ** _she_**  was cosmic, like a love drug that spiraled him to the heavens, and only the gods knew how much he loved and desired this woman as he latches onto her neck, sucking forcefully as she clings to him and arches her back beautifully into him, pressing against his throbbing want – and for a moment, all Izuna wants to do is abandon all rules and decorum and unleash all his hatred, all his love, all his pining want and lavish them all upon her.

Like a hawk devouring its prey, so too will he ravish all the doubt and hatred she had for him, so that she could truly and solely be his and his alone.

"Izuna," she breathes, and her soft, feminine voice is like the tinkling of a silver bell to his ears as her hands grip painfully upon his arms, and she involuntarily pushes herself against his erection, eliciting a low growl from him as his hands roam dangerously close to the hemline of her underclothing.

"Yes, my love?" he whispers as he unlatches off her sweet, tender neck and gazes lustily at her, barely able to keep the steamy, erotic images from filling his mind and clouding his vision.

**_That was when it happened._ **

With a gasp of complete horror, Toka immediately pushed him forcefully back, and leapt lithely and urgently, putting a good distance between the both of them as she stared at him, wild-eyed with fear and trepidation.

"Your eyes –  ** _your eyes!_** " she says, and it twists his heart to hear how she says it like he was a  ** _monster_**.

And she points, almost accusatory, at him.

"My eyes?" he repeats, slightly confounded and dazed as he straightens up and places a hand over his eye and feels a familiar turbulence that he knew too well.

**_It was the Mangekyou Sharingan._ **

"Ah, this, you mean," he says, softly.

The cold summer wind blew again, this time colder than ever, and Toka felt her skin break into innumerable goosebumps as she stared back at Izuna, who looked at her with an almost apologetic and sad expression on his face.

He dipped his head slightly as he said, "I'm sorry – this happens. You see, the Sharingan activates each time the user is aroused. I apologize if I caused you such alarm – I had no ill intentions."

With that, he deactivated his Sharingan and proceeded to leave without a word, and Toka couldn't be more relieved when she felt his chakra disappear beyond her sensory perception.

She collapsed on the mossy ground as she fought to regulate her breathing. It was crazy, unthinkable, what just happened… Izuna and her kissing so passionately and even almost going so far as to…

She paused.  _Dear gods, she almost **slept**  with him_ – and the scariest part is that she  ** _wanted_**  to. Toka had slept with many men, but all had been for missions or customary sexual favors for the few ex-boyfriends she had. Tonight was the first time she had ever been touched in such a way that ignited the fire within her body and willed it to give itself so submissively and completely to a man. For the first time in her life, Toka realized with horror, she could give herself freely, and to none other than the  _ **enemy**_.

It was a joke, really, and she vaguely wonders if she would ever end up miserable like her mother before her, pining and hoping for a love that was never to be, in that luminous space between land and sea.

* * *

As Izuna makes his way to his private guestroom, he is seeing and yet unseeing as he walks briskly along the corridors, oblivious to everything and anything except Toka's accusatory and fearful eyes.

It couldn't have been more tragic, for his Mangekyou to activate when they were so close to consummating and expressing their love – and remind both of them of the harsh reality of their circumstances, of the bloodied cries of revenge and betrayal that sounded from the graves of their family and loved ones as they entwined in their unholy union.

**_"But blood must be avenged, what is this love compared to the love and duty for the clan?"_**  Comes a sly and foreign voice within Izuna's head, and he quickly pushes this rational and calculating side of him aside as he dives into his futon, wasted.

Then he remembers her warm, tender touch, the feeling of her womanly curves against his body, and the intoxicating floral scent of her hair and neck, the way she kissed him and her sweet tinkling moans… and Izuna sighs, as he sees the magpie bridge slowly disintegrate and fall like stardust onto the ground, and he stands alone in his orbit, looking across the Milky Way to his beloved star beyond, and he feels a fire within his soul – indignant.

No, he will find a way to win her back, he was sure of it.

* * *

**End Notes:**

**[1]**  The legend of Indra transforming into a  ** _tengu_**  is from the legend of Emperor Sutoku of Japan, who was snubbed by the imperial court after his abdication and upon his death, transformed into a demon to exact revenge on those who offended him.

Additionally, the Uchiha have long had links to the Tengu in the manga, with Sasuke's hawk summons, Madara's hobby of falconry, Obito's nickname of "Tobi" (which means "to fly" or "kite"), and how the  ** _Susanoo_**  takes on the form of a tengu when activated. Yes, I honestly believe Indra was a tengu king. ;)

**[2]**  The metaphor of the  ** _magpie bridge_**  is from the eastern version of Romeo and Juliet – called  ** _"Cowherd and Weaver Girl",_**  and their story is one of forbidden romance between a mortal and a celestial fairy. After their separation, they can only meet once a year when the magpies form a bridge to reunite them again, and their love story has given rise to the Asian Valentines Day across eastern cultures, like the Qixi in China and the  ** _Tanabata_**  festival in Japan.

As such, there is a lot of cosmic related imagery going on, also because the Cowherd is represented by the star Altair, and the Weaver Girl by the star Vega, both of which are believed to be separated by the Milky Way. Gives a whole new meaning to "star-crossed lovers" eh? It's not just a phrase after all.

 


	13. Monsters & Men

Izuna tries to win Toka's love through the language of flowers.

**Characters** : Izuna, Toka, Tobirama

* * *

**Himeji, Land of Iron**

As expected, Hashirama and Takeshi got absolutely drunk after five rounds of sake, and Tobirama, the caring brother he was, decided to send Mito a personal message through his wolf summoning that her husband was incapacitated and needed help getting back.

Within just ten minutes of sending out the message, the entire bar was thrown into alarm when a raging woman with fiery red hair and a gaze that could kill stormed in, her fury emanating off her like suffocating heat waves that caused even the rowdiest customer to flee as far away from her as possible.

All Tobirama had to do was sit back and watch as Mito screamed, " ** _Senju Hashirama!_**   ** _You_**  are royally screwed!"

It's funny, Tobirama thinks, how the most drunk of men would perk up and become sober upon hearing their wives' screaming voices – it's almost as if the gods above gave men wives  ** _just_**  for the sole purpose of knocking soberness and reason back into them after a night out drinking.

Hashirama was no exception to the rule.

Upon hearing Mito, he sprung up from his slobbery state upon the floor and looked around dazedly, as if searching frantically for an unseen predator that he was sure was near him.

Sure enough, through his drunk vision, he saw what appeared to be a flaming habanero whizzing in his direction –  ** _but wait, what was his wife's face doing on that habanero?_**

Before he could register anything else, he felt a strong hand clock him square in the jaw, causing him to see stars before he felt his head hit the wooden wall with an excruciatingly painful thud. Another kick sent him flying and his stomach felt like it was being ripped apart from the sheer brute force of it.

Whatever it was, by the start of the next morning, the entire city was awakened to animated stories running along the street of the legendary Senju Hashirama being dragged screaming for mercy from a bar in the South District by a formidable looking woman with hair the color of blood. Not only that, he had the worst bruises and cuts on him and his clothes were thoroughly drenched from the icy cold water his wife deemed prudent to submerge and almost drown him in in her attempt to sober him up.

Later on when Hashirama would ask Tobirama why he had to notify Mito of his drunken state, Tobirama merely shrugged and reasoned that it was physically  ** _impossible_**  for him to carry  ** _two_**  grown and heavy men by himself, and that Hashirama and Mito were living in the same room anyway, so it wouldn't have mattered in the end what he did.

And besides, perhaps a little beating from the famous Uzumaki princess would instill in Hashirama the shinobi virtue of abstinence from money, alchohol and women that Butsuma had failed to do so when they were growing up.

* * *

**Uchiha Base Camp**

It was a cool summer's evening as Izuna rested beside the river that ran behind the Uchiha base, and as the breeze blew gently across his face, he couldn't have been more grateful for the welcome serenity and peace of quiet after an intense training session with his battalion.

The sky was a glorious shade of pink, gold and purple as he watched the sun set in the distance, and its ephemeral beauty caused his memory to reach back and present him with the visual and sensory images of that unforgettable night with Toka. The way both their bodies entwined in unison, their moans a harmonic chorus and their souls like two birds that blazed across the sky.

**_If only they could be like this forever, but how?_ **

Izuna frowns as he picks mindlessly at the grass. How did one convey their love to an enemy who was far beyond their physical reach?

His eyes land on a lily white daisy some distance away and it was as though everything clicked into place.

**_Toka_**.  **[1].**  Flowers. Flowers held an intimate meaning that couldn't be expressed in words, and in that way, the language of flowers was exactly like the language of love between him and Toka.

Silent, beautiful and powerful.

**_Flowers were perfect._ **

Wasting no time, Izuna got up and proceeded to make his way to the nearest meadow near the Uchiha base that was famous amongst the women in his clan for producing the most exquisite flora in the area.

As he leaps swiftly and silently towards his destination and feels the steely weight of his sword upon his back, Izuna is no longer a warrior with accursed eyes, a cruel hand and a bloodied sword, but a child chasing – with an ardent hope of a future brighter and lovelier than his wildest dreams.

* * *

**October 1594, Senju Base Camp**

There he was again, the beautiful hawk with golden markings around its eyes and a pert, powerful beak.

Toka reached out an arm and felt the light grip of the hawk's talons circle around it as he landed gracefully.

"Hello, Tobi. Did you miss me?" she coos softly as her fingers run through his smooth, silky feathers and marvels at how such a powerful and fearsome king of the air can possess such a soft and comforting coat.

**Tobi [2],**  that was what she had decided to nickname this hawk who never failed to visit her every Wednesday evening with a flower in its beak.

First, it had been white gardenias.  ** _You are lovely._**

Next, it was roses in a brilliant shade of red.  ** _I love you._**

Now it seemed that the flower in Tobi's beak was an arbutus flower, shining white in the moonlight as the edges of its petals glowed with an ethereal pink that reminded Toka of the wings of a forest fairy.  ** _I love only thee._**

**_Loved_** , that was what Toka felt as she gazed happily at the beautiful and delicate flower as she kindly received it from Tobi's beak.

At first, she was shocked and completely mortified to see a strange hawk land outside her room, a white gardenia in its beak a few months ago. Her first instinct was to approach it warily, but sensing no malice from Tobi, decided to receive the flower from him, all the while checking to see that it wasn't poisoned or that its petals hid an explosion tag. Her sensory instincts could pick up the remnants of Izuna's chakra on Tobi, and despite what had happened between them that night, she was a kunoichi and she wasn't going to take any chances with the  ** _enemy_** , loved or not.

However, as the flowers came, and Tobi made such frequent appearances at the same time each evening, he and Izuna's flowers became a sacred ritual that was oddly foreign yet familiar and comforting for Toka. The joy in receiving a flower, breathing in its pure, sweet scent and knowing that what she touched, what she felt, was exactly how  ** _he_**  felt about her – was just indescribable. What he couldn't do to her, he let a flower do it for him.  ** _Do you feel me now as you do holding this flower?_**

Amazing, how she seemed to be able to read his thoughts through his flowers.

Toka smiled.  ** _Izuna was a romantic lover as he was a romantic enemy_** , giving attentive detail to his partner's or opponent's wants and expressing his feelings to the best of his ability. No fight, no surrender. Lover or enemy, it was all for her, and Toka muses at the funny irony that she is a much loved lover  ** _and_**  enemy.

She tried to reciprocate whenever she could, passing Tobi some medicinal herbs to sneak to Izuna. She knew that medical jutsu and herbs were not the best suit of the Uchiha, and they suffered much for it, losing many warriors to infected wounds after each battle. It was the Senju who were the undisputed masters of medical jutsu along with the Nara, their allies, and it was what helped to boost the survival rate of the Senju warriors who engaged in battle on a daily basis.

As she tucked the arbutus flower into her kimono, Toka retrieved a few pieces of raw meat from her pocket and offered it to Tobi, who immediately ravaged it in a few gulps before he gazed silently back at her, eyes bright and Toka could tell that he was satisfied and happy.

She chuckled to think that Tobi had taken a huge liking to her already, even allowing her to feed him.  ** _It's almost like he's the shared pet of me and Izuna_** , she thinks amusedly and fights the urge to laugh at the thought.

"Erh-hmm!" came an abrupt cough, and Toka froze, snapping her head in the direction of the voice.

**Tobirama.**

There stood her cousin, hair glowing silver in the moonlight and maroon eyes staring unblinkingly at her as he folded his arms and leaned almost casually against the pillar.

"Tobirama! What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to hide the alarm in her voice.

"I should be asking what are you doing exchanging flowers and whatnot with Izuna," Tobirama retorts coolly.

It was as though Toka's heart froze for a moment as Tobirama's eyes pierced through her, nailing her to the ground and she barely noticed as Tobi shifted on her arm into a menacing position as it bared its beak threateningly at Tobirama.

"You're mistaken, cousin. This is a hawk from the Nara clan," she lies, but Tobirama raises a hand.

**_"Cut that bullshit Toka, and come clean with me."_ **

She is silent as she stares back at him, unable to believe that Tobirama discovered the relationship between her and Izuna and she is afraid, terribly afraid. She may be his closest cousin, but she knew that he would not hesitate to bring down anyone he deemed a threat or traitor, even if they were family.

She also knew that there was no point in fooling Tobirama now, not when he caught her red-handed and when he had obviously been observing her for some time. This meant that he had already suspected her for quite a while, and it scares her how horribly cunning a shinobi he was – at home and on the battlefield. He was even more a shinobi than Hashirama, who was touted as the God of Shinobi.

So she came clean, telling Tobirama of how she met Izuna and how Izuna has loved her since, all the while careful to leave out the part where she and Izuna kissed. If she was sure that Tobirama would most likely incarcerate her for cavorting with the enemy, she was entirely sure he would personally kill her and set fire to her corpse if he knew she almost slept with Izuna.

To her surprise, however, Tobirama did not look the least bit murderous or angry. Instead, all she got from her pained and penitent explanation was a resigned look and sigh from him.

"You and my brother are both the same, falling for monsters cloaked as men," says Tobirama.

Stunned. Toka was stunned. Hashirama loved Madara? Of all people! She had seen them fight on the battlefield countless times, and looking at them was like witnessing two enraged and hateful deities cross lethal swords in hopes of striking the other down. No wonder Hashirama was so open and hopeful about peace – he secretly loved his own enemy, and Toka couldn't help feeling that she felt the same way too. The difference was that she wished she didn't and that she could see her enemy as just that – the enemy.

Seeing Toka's shocked and bewildered expression, Tobirama chuckled lowly and unfolded his arms, "Sorry, Toka. My late father forbid us from mentioning it to anyone, but there was a time when Hashirama and Madara met each other secretly to train without knowing each other's identity."

Toka's eyes widened at the revelation and remembered – remembered the times she was supposed to teach Hashirama genjutsu but he always conveniently disappeared whenever the time came, and Tobirama would always come and apologize, saying his brother had wandered off to gather herbs for the apothecary.

**So that's what happened…**

"I…I don't know what to say," Toka admits at last.

Tobirama smirks, "I don't think anyone would know what to say given the situation, cousin."

Then his face darkens and a serious mask is set in place, "I just never expected things to happen this way."

Toka turns away, embarrassed. Cooing softly to Tobi, she urged him to leave, stroking his feathers soothingly as Tobirama watched, intrigued that she managed to calm the falcon down so quickly and effectively with just one word.

After giving her one last piteous look, Tobi spread his magnificent wings and launched into the air with one powerful sweep and was gone.

"Toka, Izuna is not just an enemy, you know that," says Tobirama, breaking the tense silence that hung like a dark cloak between the Senju cousins.

"You're saying he's a monster then? Yes, I'm well aware of that common sentiment, Tobirama. But those are just rumors people made up to demonize someone they fear."

"Yes, you're absolutely right and so are they. And if you had any sense, you would see that they are to be feared – and for the right reasons too."

Toka stares exasperatedly at Tobirama, "If it's the Mangekyou you're talking about – "

"No, it's not just that," cuts in Tobirama, and his eyes sharpen dangerously.

"Then what is it?"

There was a pause as Tobirama stares at her, and for all her skill in reading people, Toka cannot, for the life of her, tell what he is thinking this time.

"Have you heard about the Hyogo Incident?"

"The what – ?" and Toka stares at him, feeling something unpleasant uncoil itself in the pits of her stomach.

Tobirama reaches into the folds of his robe and pulls out a scroll, and Toka recognizes it as a scout report scroll by the symbol carved onto the parchment.

"Here, read this. I just received it from the incoming batch of scouts this morning and I'm surprised you haven't heard of it yet. It's been the talk of the entire compound."

And he throws it to her. Toka catches it and unrolls the scroll, and one quick glance of its contents sends shivers down her spine.

Years later, not many people would remember the various battles that the Uchiha won, but many would remember the infamous Hyogo Incident wherein the two leaders of the Uchiha clan, Madara and Izuna single-handedly exterminated an entire city in the span of just one day.

It was horrific and mind-boggling, to say the least.

Hyogo City was a prosperous city that still thrived on maritime trade and were unfortunate to be situated at an area that Toyotomi wished to exert control over in his plans to expand his territory. Negotiations with Hyogo's city council had failed, and they refused to pay such hefty tributes to someone who wasn't even the Emperor, and Toyotomi had ordered his two best warriors to eliminate the entire city as punishment for their scorn and failure to co-operate.

Hyogo had sent its best armies and warriors, but that was useless against the ravenous power of the Uchiha brothers. One swipe of the Susanoo sword was enough to tear down the city into rubble, and the huge raging fires of the Uchiha razed and consumed the lives and property of everything precious in that city, leaving only ashes and blood-soaked fields and miles and miles of corpses that floated along with the current of the ocean beside Hyogo.

It was genocide, all one million lives, and all in just half a day.

The monstrosity of it all was so shocking that Toka, despite being a battle-hardened warrior, found her hands slightly shaking and barely able to hold on to the scroll within her hands.

"I…I can't believe it," she rasps out, breathless.

"I didn't either. But we have sent more scouts to survey the area and it seems to be true. Reports from our allies have also confirmed the same…" says Tobirama, and a sad frown forms upon his face.

It couldn't be…could it? Izuna – even though she knew he was a heartless killer on the battlefield, and that hatred drove him to greater heights of power, he was still a loving and gentle man deep down inside. She knew it, she  ** _felt_**  it – the gentle sensitivity in his attentiveness, his flowers, the unspoken words and feelings his gaze spoke to her…

Surely he couldn't be the monster that Izuna and these reports paint him out to be, she knew it.

As if he was able to read her thoughts, Tobirama interrupts her, "Toka, I know you think that I'm being prejudiced and paranoid, but you can't deny the facts that are laid out before you. We are shinobi, and we are killers, yes. But we are not inhumane  **monsters**  who destroy and kill an  **entire city**  and army so readily and easily! They could have rejected this order, but they didn't! If Tokugawa had ordered us to do it, we wouldn't have accepted it! Dammit, even we wouldn't place ourselves under such a tyrannical and heartless patron!  **That's the difference between monsters and men** , Toka!"

Every word that left Tobirama's mouth was like a sword that was plunged deep into Toka's heart, and each accusation twisted the swords and Toka's heart bled.

Unbidden, tears started streaming down her cheeks, silver rivulets that caught the pale moonlight and glistened like wet paint on Toka's smooth skin.

And for a moment, Tobirama's face is shrouded in a mixture of guilt and long-suffering as he sighs, unfolding his arms and turning away from Toka, as if he finally decided that he had caused enough harm for one day and should relieve her of his presence.

**_"Think about what I said. I hope you make the right decision."_ **

With those parting words, Tobirama turned his back and left, leaving Toka stunned, breathless, and most importantly, clueless.

* * *

**Winter, 1594, Uchiha Base Camp**

The entire world was blanketed white with snow, and soft, fluffy flakes drifted like daffodil petals, dusting Izuna's face and thick eyelashes with shimmering white powder. It was a particularly cold winter, and despite wearing a thin blue leather coat, Izuna was not cold. The natural body heat of the Uchiha as fire breathers was a great asset of survival in harsh times like these, and it kept him warm as he absent-mindedly stroked Tobi's down feathers.

It had been almost one and a half months since Toka's replies became…well, hesitant and even  **fearful**. Where once she used to send medicinal herbs that were a much-needed godsend for the Uchiha, she now gives flowers. But not the kind of flowers Izuna wanted to see.

First it had been striped carnations.  ** _I regret that I cannot be with you. No._**

Then it had been purple hyacinths.  ** _I am sorry, please forgive me._**

Where she got flowers in the autumn or winter seasons was a mystery to Izuna, but what really mattered to him was that she was rejecting his love.  **Again.**  And it hurt her to do so.

But Izuna never faltered, always sending her flowers that spoke of his ardent love for her, hoping that she would be persuaded and moved by his unspoken emotions and abandon all walls and pretenses she put up against him.

He knew she loved him, wanted him, but somehow, couldn't bring herself to do so. And it frustrates him. Sometimes he wished he could just turn up at the Senju base camp and kidnap her – spirit her away from the clutches of her family and open her world to a reality with him in it. In that world, he would be the most devoted and loving husband, giving her flowers everyday and making sure she was the happiest and most loved woman in the world. She would be happy, and not miserable in that repressive, misogynistic prison the Senju had trapped her in. She deserved more than that.

She deserved  **freedom**.

When the first striped carnation came, Izuna knew that something was  **very**  badly wrong – something, or  **someone** , must have forced Toka to do this.

Upon using the Sharingan to sieve through Tobi's memories, Izuna discovered the answer to his burning question, and it infuriated him beyond all measure.

There Toka was, tears streaming down her cheeks and marring her beautiful face, and Tobirama stood there, as imposing and oppressive as his father before him as he berated and chided Toka like she was a child who didn't have feelings or secret desires and dreams of her own.

If there was something Izuna was grateful for, it was that Tajima, despite being a strict disciplinarian, was a very understanding and sensitive man in many ways. He showed respect and trust in his sons' opinion, even from a young age and built their confidence and strength from the safe harbor they sought in his fatherly trust and love. Butsuma, on the other hand, seemed absolutely  **callous**  and  **careless**  in how he treated even those he loved, and it seemed that his son Tobirama inherited that undesirable trait from him.

No, Izuna decided. He would not be defeated or brought down so easily.

He will fight. For her, for himself, for them.

Placing a flower to Tobi's beak, he gave a gentle push and watched as Tobi took off into the air, soaring high above and disappearing from his line of sight.

* * *

**Winter, 1594, Senju Base Camp**

Toka stared at the flower and the letter in her hands, disbelieving.

A letter, written in the sophisticated and cursive writing of Izuna:

_"My dearest Toka,_

_It has been almost half a year since we last met, and no passage of time or power in the world can make me forget the special moment we shared, or the special love that we hold between us. I have no knowledge about what holds you back, what you are afraid of, and if I could do everything in my power to lift your burden and erase all your fear, by the gods' above, I would do it._

_If you do not believe my words, then let my actions speak for themselves. Meet me at the Kiyosato Meadow at midnight in three days' time, and I will show you just how much I love you._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Izuna."_

A rendez-vous. A meeting. A secret.

Just how many secrets had they buried themselves under already?

It would have been so easy to just burn the letter and send Tobi flying off with a purple hyacinth, but over the years, Toka had come to realize that the easy way out was the hardest way out when it came to Izuna.

And dammit, she knew that Izuna had ignited a spark in her that gave her a sense of hope and joy that she never had before – and for the first time in her life, she felt as though she understood Hashirama's optimism and hopes for peace. And despite it all, Toka wished for the same thing too.

She writes her response, free and rebellious as her strokes form upon the paper.

As she folds the scroll and places it into Tobi's claws, she hesitates as Tobirama's words ring through her mind.

**"I hope you make the right decision."**

She falters, a little.

And then she remembers that night, in the lush greenery of Koko-en Garden, Izuna's plea as he looks at her, the way he gazes at her with the light of the moon and stars in his eyes, and it is as though the mist of doubt within her mind had cleared.

**"Monsters are human too."**

She looks down upon the red tulip in her lap.  **Believe me.**

And she sends Tobi off on his way, bearing the will and desire of two star-crossed lovers in his strong, gleaming claws, the snowflakes falling like stardust and cloaking the world in an imaginary wonderland.

* * *

**End Notes:**

**[1]**  Toka literally means "peach flower" in Japanese.

**[2]**  Tobi means "kite" in Japanese, a very fitting name for a falcon, don't you think?

And yes, in my headcanon, Izuna is actually a very gentle and romantic person, and would make a most excellent lover and husband. Exactly what Toka needs. ;)

As for Hyogo, I am so sorry I portrayed Madara and Izuna like awful killers who carried out genocide – but I just wished to highlight the atrocity of that era where lives and even civilian lives were expendable, and that there were notorious rulers in real historical times that raided and destroyed cities they conquered. Toyotomi would be no different.

And for Tobirama and the Senju, I guess I wanted to portray a darker and more human side to them too. Tobirama, as in the manga, is a very practical individual who sees the facts and doesn't see beyond the people or emotions behind people's actions.

So while on paper, everyone sees Madara and Izuna as monsters, the reality is that they were merely doing what was right in their eyes – which was to protect and ensure the prosperity of their family and a show of loyalty. Yes, I'd always imagined the Uchiha as being loyal warriors – very samurai like. And in being blind to people's good intentions, Tobirama is also blind to his own faults and condemnation of the Uchiha, calling them monsters when he doesn't even bother to see them as men. He is too blinded by prejudice – and yes, his whole mantra of the Uchiha being genetically predisposed to mental instability is BULLSHIT and sounds very HITLER like. Don't get me wrong, I love Tobirama – it's just that for once, I am gonna have to disagree with his reasoning and pseudo-science.

**_"Not seeing past the end of your nose."_**  Unfortunately, that is the case for many of us in real life too.

BTW: Anyone remembers that scene with Leonardo DiCaprio in  **Django Unchained? Pseudo Science.**


	14. Snow

Izuna and Toka meet in a winter wonderland

**Characters:**  Izuna, Toka

* * *

**Winter 1594, Kiyosato Meadow**

It was five minutes to midnight when Izuna looked up to see crystal snowflakes flutter down from the dark skies above – and from where he was, it seemed as though the blazing stars above were tired of their lives in the galaxies and transformed into white snowflakes to visit the planets beyond.

Even though he had told Toka to meet at midnight, being the gentleman he was, he insisted on being there half an hour before the stipulated time. Being early was a virtue – it helped people get their wacky nerves into place, for one thing, and Izuna was never more nervous than he was now as he stared into the dark abyss of pinewood trees, seeing nothing but pitch black.

His fears were unfounded however, when he suddenly detected a familiar chakra signature coming his way, and sure enough, a lithe, slim figure emerged from the trees and there she was – his beloved Toka in all her winter glory.

Toka was wrapped in a dark green velvet coat that was lined tastefully with white fur, and combined with the dark leather boots she wore, she truly was a sight to behold – effortlessly beautiful and fashionable yet instinctively utilitarian. She was a kunoichi after all, and he knew she could take him on anytime if things didn't go her way in that outfit.

A smile broke out on Izuna's face.

"I didn't think you would come," he says, a bit too cheery for his liking, and he was sure he never sounded like that – but he couldn't help it, he was too overjoyed to see her.

Toka smiled – a shy, reserved smile, and her blush was like delicate pink flowers that powdered her smooth, pale cheek in a warm glow, and Izuna thought she had never looked more beautiful than she was here.

"Well, I couldn't turn down a date, could I?" she replied, her pink lips twisted up into a mischievous smirk and her aquamarine eyes sparkling up at him.

It was amazing, how one cheeky glance and a smile from her could cause his heart to swell to the point he though it would burst from admiration and happiness – it was amazing to think that half a year ago, they were still hardened and bitter enemies, attracted yet repulsed in their unspoken love for each other, and that a reckless move by Izuna and a kiss was all it took to send them careening off the cliff of reason towards this madness called love.

"You look absolutely stunning tonight, Toka," whispered Izuna, drinking in every drop of her spotlessly beautiful façade as he slowly approached her, hoping not to scare her with any sudden movements.

They were lovers, but still trained shinobi and not very receptive to sudden sharp movements after all, and he didn't want to alarm or scare his lover on this night of all nights.

He reached out, and took her hands – soft and supple under his touch, and it was as though a bolt of electricity prickled his fingers and he had to resist the urge to pull her towards him and kiss her to the world's end.

And then he noticed – her hands were shivering. It was slight and she was obviously trying to control it, but Izuna was a sensor, and he was a hell of a good one, and she wasn't fooling him with that lazy grin of hers.

Toka was cold, and she was too proud and strong to admit it.

**_That wouldn't do._ **

"Your hands are shivering, Toka. Are you cold?" he asked, concerned.

"And why are you so warm, Izuna? Your coat shouldn't be any thicker than mine," she asked, curious.

"Tsk, Toka. You forget that the Uchiha are all natural fire users. Our body heat is abnormally high, so we don't get as cold easily – perfect for survival in harsh times like these," Izuna replied.

"Huh, that's useful, as much as I'd hate to admit it," said Toka begrudgingly.

**_If only the Senju had such an advantage._ **

And Izuna's eyes lit up with a spritely mirth, trying to hide the smirk that threatened to bloom upon his lips at the obvious advantage the Uchiha had over their rival clan.

**_Childish, but oh well._**  It was fair given the amount of food the Senju seemed to be able to produce even in the coldest of winters.

"If you don't mind, I would like to help you get warm," he offered.

If not for the fact that he sounded genuine and slightly meek in his offer, Toka would have interpreted it as a perfectly lewd and suggestive comment and proceeded to deliver the most agonizing punch to his gut in a blink of an eye.

"Heh," said Toka, smirking slyly at him and tilting her chin up proudly, challengingly. "Let's see how good you are."

One of Izuna's groomed brows rose up, and a smirk formed upon his face too.

**_"Uchiha men are never found lacking,"_**  he replied, and Toka blushed at the more shadowy insinuations Izuna was clearly hinting at.

Izuna removed one of his hands from hers, and snaked it around her waist, pulling her into an intimate embrace as he rubbed her other hand soothingly, warming her up. His eyes never left hers, and as Toka gazed back at him, she found herself getting lost in those beautiful onyx eyes of his – gone were the icy, malicious and lustful looks. All that reflected in those eyes were love, affection and the sweet protectiveness that she had only seen in the most besotted of men towards women like Mito.

**_Never, ever in her life did she think that a man could look at her like that. Such genuine and all consuming love – did her mother feel the same way when her father found her lounging by the rocks, tail splayed for him to see?_ **

Then came the welcoming heat as she felt the warmth radiate from Izuna's body as he held her close, providing her with an invisible cloak that shielded her from the icy grip of winter and afforded her the comfort of a hearth fire. It didn't take long for her to figure out that Izuna was holding down a fireball in his throat and channeling the heat and fire from throughout his body to warm her up, causing beads of sweat and perspiration to form on his temple as he concentrated hard and long.

Smiling, Toka rested her head against his strong, muscled chest, listening to his heartbeat and feeling the glowing warmth of the fireball within.

**Fire**  –  **that was the Uchiha**. It was their very soul and lifeblood that they breathed onto the battlefield to fight and protect their loved ones. Previously, having been their enemy, Toka had only perceived fire as a destructive, consuming force that burned everything to ashes and she absolutely hated and despised the Uchiha for that – truly believing that the Curse of Indra was indeed manifested in the incinerating power of their eyes and katon jutsu.

But now, as she was held protectively in the arms of an Uchiha, feeling the warmth of their fire giving blessed harbor to her body and soul, she had never felt more loved and protected. The Uchiha were as good as protectors as they were as warriors, and she thinks that if she had the freedom to choose, she would gladly marry Uchiha Izuna.  ** _Why did they take so many years to acknowledge their feelings and cross those barriers when just being together made them so happy?_**

Then she remembers the mountains of corpses on the battlefield, the sneer on Madara and Tobirama's faces and internally sighs – love was powerful, but whether it was powerful enough to overcome the hatred and bitterness of age-old enemies was another of life's greatest mysteries.

**_But for now…. for now I will just let myself indulge in this little fantasy world._ **

The snow falls, lily-white petals that form a shimmering white coat of angel's wings around the couple as they hold each other, tender and silent as the world falls slack around them.

Toka looks up, and sees the snowflakes fall, and in her mind, it is as if every single one of them harmonizes together to form a silvery-white bridge that reach far into the heavens and night sky, like a portal into another world and another life.

**A stairway to heaven.**

"What are you thinking about, Toka?" asks Izuna, noticing his lover peering curiously up at the dark night sky.

"Nothing, just thinking what it would be like to climb the stairway to heaven," she replies simply.

Izuna smiles, softly, and pulls her further into his embrace, "We will one day, my sweet."

And Toka can't help but smile back. No words need to be said between lovers bound by the red thread of fate – the  **man under the moon**   **[1]**  had fashioned them to be the perfect melody to each other's tune, and no matter how twisted the red cord between them became, their souls are forever wed to each other.

Such was the red thread between Toka and Izuna.

What the two lovers didn't know was just how brutally twisted and corded this red thread was and would eventually be.

* * *

**Spring 1595, Kiyosato Meadow**

Spring. The season of rebirth, where the life of green shoots spring forth from the muddy cold ground, free from the cold clutches of winter and reaching out to kiss the sun rays hello.

Toka idly played with a cluster of red mushrooms with sunflower yellow spots, and out of childhood habit, ducked her head slightly to look at the bottom of the mushrooms, hoping to find a couple of gold nuggets beneath.

Seeing none, she huffed in disappointment and crossed her arms.

**Dang it.**

"What's with that look, Toka?" came a familiar voice, and she snapped her head to see Izuna emerging from the trees, an amused look on his face.

"Oh nothing, just disappointed that I didn't find any gold under those mushrooms – damned leprechauns got to them first," she sniffed and shifted to allow Izuna to settle beside her on the grass.

The look Izuna gave her was one that adults gave children when they muttered something stupid.

"Are you for real, Toka?  ** _Gold_** under mushrooms? How old are you?"

"Older and wiser than you. And if you had any childhood you would be looking for gold under mushrooms too," retorted Toka.

"Well, I guess that's some useful information about the Senju that I can tell my clan," grinned Izuna as he lay back, hands folded behind his head, "We can lure the Senju shinobi into a wooded area with thousands of such mushrooms, or even create illusions of them and attack when those shinobi start ducking their heads like candy-crazed kids beneath mushrooms."

Feeling Toka's unimpressed glare, Izuna merely chuckled, immediately backtracking.

"Don't worry, Toka dear. I was just joking. I highly doubt Senju shinobi to be that stupid on the battlefield anyway."

"Huh, good that you know,  ** _Uchiha_**."

It was scary, how close the both of them had grown within the couple of months of weekly meetings at the meadow. From little fleeting kisses of greetings to private moments of rough fondling, they were like any regular couple – accustomed to each other's face, each other's voice, each other's scent.

In fact, fighting against the Uchiha and on the occasions when she would battle with Izuna didn't seem to be as daunting as before. She knew he'd never hurt her that bad, and he knew she would do the same. And the raging fire that spewed from the mouths of the Uchiha warriors brought to mind memories of warmth in cold winters rather than the memories of charred bodies and blistering heat.

**And yet…**

**_And yet…_ **

She couldn't –  **they**  couldn't abandon the underlying current of clan loyalties and duties. It was the dark shadow that lurked beneath the cheerful and comforting picture they had painted of their love, the elephant in the room that both of them knew but never moved to acknowledge.

Because doing so would be breaking the peaceful illusion they had built for themselves, and as much as shinobi were trained to be grounded in harsh reality, inside their souls hid secret desires to hide in a dream world of their own.  ** _Safe, protected._**

And what Izuna did just showed the shadow that constantly followed their relationship – the better part of Toka wished and knew he said it in jest, the other was just itching to slice his neck in a moment's jiffy with a well sharpened kunai.  ** _He broke that illusion_** , and Toka, the secret dream girl that she was, proceeded to smooth the tension by the only way she knew how.

Placing her head to rest on Izuna's chest, she curled up against him as he held her, strong and assuring in his embrace.

"So what makes Uchiha act like candy-crazed kids?"

She felt Izuna's light chuckle in the vibrations through his muscled chest, and she looked up to see his eyes staring mischievously back at her.

"Definitely not as stupid as yours."

A smirk bloomed upon Toka's painted lips as she tilted them up in a challenge, "Oh really? Pray do tell."

And there was a moment of silence as Izuna's smile disappeared and his brows furrowed slightly in concentration.

"You obviously know the legend of Indra don't you? That he turned into a Tengu demon after he fought his brother?"

Toka nodded.

A sigh. "Well, I'm not sure if it is true, but it is said that Indra would appear in the form of a red phoenix to the Uchiha – to grant them powers beyond all imagination, power rivaling his in his heyday. But such an occurrence is extremely rare, and the phoenix will only appear to very select and special people."

There was a tense moment of silence, and Toka waited patiently for him to continue.

"True to this myth, Uchiha children were commanded to climb  **Mount Kurama**   **[2]**  at the age of ten and spend a week there – all in hopes of coming across the red phoenix."

"And – did anyone succeed?" asked Toka, genuinely curious now.

"For eight hundred years, no. Until my great-great grandfather – Uchiha Goro, who happened to sight the red phoenix when he was at Mount Kurama. It was said that the red phoenix spoke to him, and that he went into a trance for three days before he woke up."

"And when he woke, he found himself gifted with power greater beyond the ordinary Sharingan – the red phoenix had granted him the Mangekyou Sharingan."

Toka sat up abruptly, shocked.

"WAIT – do you mean to say  **YOU**  saw the red phoenix?"

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Izuna laughed, and his rich baritone echoed throughout the meadow as he rolled onto his side, almost wheezing.

"Hey! I'm serious!" cried Toka as she forcefully rolled him onto his back and fixed him with a demanding stare.

Izuna quickly stopped his laughter and he gazed back at her, a rueful smile upon his lips.

"Obviously NOT, Toka. This whole talk about the red phoenix is just that – TALK. Talk to make the Uchiha hungry for power and ignite their thirst and search for it. Nothing more!"

It was Toka's turn to stare now – she wasn't sure if he was lying, but just the idea of Izuna and Madara being granted great power from a legendary ancestor sounded so much more appealing than the unspoken ugly reality of attaining power that Izuna spoke of. Izuna's honesty was shocking, to say the least.

She had heard rumours, of how the Uchiha would steal the eyes of the fallen in hopes of getting more power, but had dismissed them as mere rumours. The Uchiha were too prideful and honorable to do that. Not to mention robbing the dead was unseemly and uncivilized.

She was soon broken out of her reverie when she felt Izuna's soft lips press a kiss against her neck and his arms wrap protectively around her, stroking her stomach in slow, reassuring movements.

**_"Don't be upset, darling. This is not your burden to bear."_ **

With those words echoing in her ears, Izuna kissed her on the cheek and laid his head to rest upon her shoulders, rocking both of them to a soft, idyllic rhythm as they soaked in the glorious sun rays and the refreshing breeze upon their skin.

Suddenly, without any warning, she felt an acute dent in the atmosphere around her, and felt Izuna springing up and kicking.

By the time she stood to look, she saw a silver tanto gleaming menacingly in the ground at her feet, where Izuna would have been if he hadn't moved so quickly.

**_"Toka, watch out!"_**  she heard Izuna's scream and felt him grab her as an exploding tag suddenly appeared at her left foot, and both of them were sent rolling and tumbling upon the grass as the sonic boom and radiating heat of the explosion ignited the atmosphere around them.

As the couple straightened up, arms and legs in a defensive battle stance, a seeping sense of dread started to fill them right down to their bones.

It was suffocating, menacing – this sudden and unfamiliar presence.

And as the fog lifted, and the spring wind cleared up the scene before her eyes, Toka bit back a gasp of horror as she saw none other than two very distinctly familiar figures in front of her, swords and kunai in hand as they stare each other down, ready to take the final plunge.

**No, it couldn't be…. Their dream world, their illusion was broken. Forever.**

* * *

**End Notes:**

Sorry for the long wait, life has been so busy and I hit a writer's block in terms of inspiration, but am glad I'm beginning to pick up on it now!

**[1] Man under the moon**  – in east Asian folklore, there is an old man or "Divine Matchmaker" of sorts who sits under a tree in the moonlight, reading a book of predestined couples and using a red string to tie their feet together. Thus giving rise to the traditional metaphor of the  **red string of fate**  to describe couples who are destined to be lovers. This metaphor also appears when Kushina describes her red hair as the red string of fate that led Minato to her.

**[2] Mount Kurama**  – the abode of the Tengu King Sojobo, the greatest and most powerful of all tengus. Interestingly enough, Naruto's nine tail Kurama is also named after this famous mountain, and is linked to the Sharingan's ability to control tailed beasts, in particular, Kurama.

Please rate and review! :D Thanks!

 


	15. Brother to Brother

The Uchiha and Senju meet in a clash of iron steel as Izuna drifts into a vision way before their time.

**Characters:**  Toka, Izuna, Madara, Tobirama  **OC!**   **Otsutsuki**  characters

* * *

**Spring 1595, Kiyosato Meadow**

When Izuna lifted his eyes to the fog beyond, he expected to see the familiar blue of chakra as his Sharingan took in the bristling energy of the two men in front of him.

But all he saw instead was a fog. A misty, white fog that gradually misted away to reveal two men in front of him – one with the distinct dark hair and Uchiha features and clothed in an aristocratic white robe with black  **magatama[1]** , the clothing of ancient royalty. This was Otsutsuki Akira, his older brother and eldest son of the great Otsutsuki Indra.

Izuna was  **completely**  befuddled – he'd never seen Akira before, but somehow,  ** _just somehow_** **,**  he instinctively knew that it was  ** _his_**  blood brother and that  ** _his_**  name was Akira, and standing right opposite him all ready to attack was none other than their cousin, Otsutsuki Hisashi.

**_How on earth did that white haired Senju bastard morph into Otsutsuki Hisashi? What_ ** **_unearthly vision of his previous lives past was this?_ **

Just as Izuna was about to scream, "Cut that wannabe bullshit Tobirama!" Akira activated his Susanoo, a majestic and fiery purple knight that formed a protective shield around him, its arrow drawn and bow bent as a nauseating aura of killing intent rolled off Akira's form like toxic waves.

Wide-eyed, Izuna watched as Akira let the  **arrow[2]**  loose, and looked on in dazed admiration as the arrow, flaming and purposeful, barreled at a dizzyingly fast speed towards Hisashi, who was lifting his feet to jump away to avoid the deadly arrow.

**_Too slow, Hisahi would be too slow._ **

This is it, Tobirama, Izuna hissed internally, and his lips were about to quirk up in a triumphant smirk at the sight of a dead "Tobirama", or rather, Hisashi, when suddenly a white figure appeared in front of Hisashi, shielding the both of them from Akira's arrow with what seemed to be an invisible force shield.

Taking a closer look, Izuna saw a radiantly beautiful young woman with flowing golden-orange hair and eyes the exact same turquoise as Toka's. Otsutsuki Terumi, Hisashi's sister and his cousin.  **Toka…**

**_Dear gods, what was happening?_ **

And then he heard it – the sharp, snappish voice of his brother Madara screaming at him.

**_"Dammit Izuna! Stop standing there like a lost idiot and help me out here!"_ **

And just like that, the mist fully cleared, and like magic, the three figures within his vision melted into the forms of Madara, Tobirama and Toka.

The only similarity was that Madara had just stopped his barrage of deadly and monstrously huge fireballs at the Senju and Toka had summoned a bubble-like shield that easily absorbed the fireballs, hiding her and Tobirama safely behind its thin walls.

But for some reason, Izuna couldn't move.

Instead, he watched, transfixed, as Tobirama unleashed a torrent of water that forced Madara back closer to the line of trees as Toka, seizing the opportunity, caused the earth beneath Madara's feet to become a muddy quicksand in combination with Tobirama's waterfalls.

Madara, no matter how good he was, was no match for two top-level shinobi of near equal capabilities ganging up on him, and it was like someone has played an old film in slow motion as Madara slowly but surely sank into the whirlpool of quicksand, his fire barely managing to burn the thick wetness of the mud surrounding him.

Call it instinct, or brotherly love, but what happened next was a blur to Izuna as his eyes burst into electrical blue color again, and he focused all his energy into his eyes, staring long and hard at Tobirama – that sneaky, conniving bastard who made Toka miserable and who is almost killing his only surviving brother.

**I will end this…**

All he heard was Toka's high-pitched scream as she raced towards Tobirama, all energy to continue with her quicksand technique all dissipated as Tobirama's blue armour around his neck caught with the inky black flames of Amaterasu.

**_I'll burn you to death with the deepest and strongest hellfire I know, Tobirama, starting with your precious face – no one will be able to recognize it or even start piecing it together by the time Amaterasu is done eating you up._ **

**_You'll be nameless and beyond human recognition, even in death._ **

Tobirama looked genuinely fearful and shocked for the first time, and Toka threw a kunai with pinpoint accuracy at where the shoulder plate conjoined with the main body of the armour, causing the armour with the Amaterasu flames to fall to the ground as Tobirama stood silent and paralyzed with fear as he stared at the lone piece of shoulder armour, charring and burning away.

And he saw Toka's beautiful turquoise eyes round upon him with a mixture of pure terror and betrayal as she held Tobirama up, glaring as Madara extricated himself from the now non-existent quicksand and bounded to land beside Izuna.

Uchiha versus Senju, the four shinobi staring each other down, and it was as though history was repeating itself in a mindless and never-ending cycle.

**"We should never see each other again,"**  was all Toka said – her voice thin with stress and fraying from hurt and betrayal as she reached into her pocket and threw a smoke bomb, using the chance of temporary cover to teleport her and Tobirama away safely towards the Senju encampment.

The spring wind blew, long and hard, and Izuna felt the oncoming grey clouds casting a dark shadow over the green meadow, and he barely registered anything as he trudged forward, his eyes never leaving the black Amaterasu flames as they devoured the thin piece of armour and the surrounding grass around it.

**All the bright, precious things fade so fast… and they never come back.**  Just like the young, fresh green shoots that are burned into charred, black eternity. Just like the sunlit moments of frolicking with her in the meadow – all these memories…shattered and trampled on by the cruel twist of fate.

And in his mind, Izuna sees the thick red cord tied around his and Toka's ankles – thinning and fraying at the edges as it is twisted into a bundled rope, tangled and tense, and he vaguely wonders if he brought a kunai to it, if it would slice into numerous threads – tiny red threads scattered about the floor that they would never be able to piece those pieces of their heart together.

* * *

**Uchiha Base Camp, Uchiha Ancestral Shrine**

Angry, tense silence filled the air between the two Uchiha brothers as they both stood inside the Uchiha Shinto temple, dark and cold due to the absence of any candlelight within.

"How…?" came Izuna's wispy voice, strained and thinned from exhaustion.

Madara eyed Izuna sharply, his brows furrowed and knotted as he crossed his arms.

"It was impossible not to notice, you disappearing at the oddest times, I had no choice but to follow, and I was positively  **shocked**  at what I found. Otouto, do you even  **realize**  what you were doing?"

**_Somehow, Madara managed to make everything sound like a lecture. It was a divine gift._ **

"I should be asking you the exact same question when you met Hashirama by the river years ago," Izuna retorted.

Silence.

"Heh," scoffed Izuna, "funny isn't it? How things have reversed?"

He spun round to face Madara, eyes narrowing dangerously and Madara cautiously took a step back as he felt Izuna's cold, coiling chakra bristle from his form. Madara would be a fool to believe that Izuna wasn't angry enough to activate his Sharingan to hurt him…even if just a little.

**_Madara was ruthless, but Izuna could be even more so._ **

And throughout his entire life, Madara had always known Izuna to be the secretly more manipulative and cunning brother – it wasn't always a bad thing. Izuna was able to leverage on his charm and social skills to serve as a connecting bridge between Madara and the rest of the clan.

To say that the only reason why he was able to become clan leader was because of Izuna would not be an understatement. In fact, he  ** _knew_** , even though Izuna never told him, that Izuna had secretly disposed of certain elders who were strongly against Madara being clan leader and coveted the position themselves. He wasn't as clueless as Izuna assumed him to be – living with such a cunning person had sharpened Madara's instincts and he had long sensed Izuna's drifting attention to something, or  **someone**  else at hand.

But Izuna was content to live in the shadows, manipulating and controlling behind the scenes, happy to let Madara play the powerful one. And sometimes, Madara truly believed so.

However, in times like this, as Madara was at the receiving end of Izuna's wrath (and it was the  ** _first_**  time ever), he felt that it was highly likely that Izuna may be understating or underusing his power so that his aniki would be seen and adored as the de facto clan leader – that it was not him, but  ** _Izuna_**  who was the more powerful of the two.

"Sometimes I wonder if you did that as revenge against what I did to you and Hashirama," Izuna hissed, malice under tight control as he struggled not to activate his Sharingan.

He knew Madara was wary and afraid of him, but he also knew his aniki was a warrior – a strong one at heart, and he wasn't surprised to see Madara staring at him unflinchingly.

Instead, Madara merely turned away and gestured towards the stone statue in front of them.

"Do you see that, otouto? Do you know what this is?"

Izuna looked, and sure enough, there was the stone grey altar of the Uchiha, wherein they would light up the entire temple with a great bonfire and right behind it was an imposing statue of the Uchiha's legendary ancestor Otsutsuki Indra draped in regal robes and donning the fearsome robes of a tengu king.

Despite the absence of a raging bonfire, Izuna's mind flashed back to when he was a lanky eight-year-old, tiny and short in stature and barely standing from heavy dark ceremonial robes the elders had draped upon his delicate form.

It was after the battle when he had first awakened his Sharingan, and it was a moment of celebration for the Uchiha clan as they inducted yet another Sharingan warrior into their elite ranks through the customary  ** _"Ritual of Indra"_ [3]**, as they liked to call it. It was a pretty scary ritual where the inducted member had to cut his right hand and let its blood drip into the raging altar fire as he swore an oath to pledge unyielding loyalty and service to the clan – right to every last drop of his blood.

Izuna's right hand lightly tingled at the memory of that day, and he had to fight the urge to not shake his hand and hide it protectively within his sleeves.

"Of course I do, aniki. I remember slicing my hand so hard I thought I'd bleed to death on the spot," Izuna replied.

Madara nodded, as if in sympathy, "You do remember the oath you swore that day don't you? That you'd protect the Uchiha and pledge unyielding loyalty to the clan, right to the  ** _very last drop of your blood_** , don't you?"

Izuna remained silent, eyeing Madara warily.

"Yes, aniki."

"And do you think that what you did, meeting up with that Senju girl and frolicking in some green meadow with her like a completely love-besotted youth is doing your oath any justice?" demanded Madara.

"Look, aniki, I know what you're driving at, but haven't I done my rightful duties to the Uchiha? I've fought alongside you and killed our enemies and Senju shinobi, just like I've always done! What's changed?"

At this answer, Madara looked as though someone had just slammed his face with a sledgehammer and he looked infuriated and longsuffering beyond words as he grabbed Izuna by the collar and pulled him so close that Izuna could feel his breath upon his cheeks.

"Otouto! I don't think you understand what you've done!  ** _Do you know you could be killed under high treason for this?! Has that ever crossed your mind?!_**  What if you let slip some important information about the Uchiha to that girl, huh? And what do you know about her anyway?"

" ** _She's just a used slut who seduces men to get what she wants, how do you know she isn't slutting herself out to you like the pretty little whore that she is, eh Izuna?_** Have you ever thought about that? A whore double-timing you? Who knows she may even have a lover or husband within the Senju clan itself!"

And Izuna punched Madara. Hard.

It was the first time Izuna had ever laid a violent hand against his brother, and he should be feeling guilty. But at that moment, all Izuna saw was red, red anger as he aimed a kick towards Madara, who was sprawled onto the ground in shock and pain.

A grunt, and Madara, the powerful warrior that he was, immediately rolled away from the kick that Izuna aimed his way, standing up and facing down his little brother who was starting to look like the angered God of the Dead himself.

**_"Heh,"_**  smirked Madara,  ** _"come at me, little brother."_**

And Izuna did, and all that existed in the temple for the next five minutes was the resounding clash of steel as the two brothers traded blows, each venting their anger at the other through the stinging weight they threw behind each block and attack. It was no different from their previous fights – they usually resolved them through the only language they knew how, only this time it was edged with a tiny sliver of killing intent.

At last, Izuna brought his blade down upon Madara's right shoulder, deliberately a few centimeters off from a crucial artery, and expected his brother to dodge.

But he didn't.

Red poured from the vicious slice to Madara's shoulder and the stain bloomed across his dark robes as Izuna immediately dropped his blade and ran over to catch a hold of Madara.

"Oh my god, aniki! I am so sorry! You should have dodged that!"

**_Yes, he should have dodged that. So why didn't he?_ **

Madara grimaced as he watched Izuna approaching him, and it was at that moment that Izuna noticed.

"Aniki… you…you can't see…"

And he felt Madara freeze up in his embrace before he felt Madara clutch at his collar forcefully again,  ** _"SHUT UP OTOUTO! I can see as well as you can!"_**

It was a lie, Izuna knew it. To be honest, Izuna had been suspecting it for months. The sudden absence of using the Mangekyou, the increasing number of cuts and injuries Madara sustained in each subsequent battle, and little dodges and kicks that Madara just should have avoided but didn't avoid.

But Izuna didn't probe and didn't inquire further. He knew his brother was too prideful a Sharingan warrior to admit anything remotely related to blindness or the inability to see.

**A blind Uchiha was a dead Uchiha.**

And what just happened confirmed Izuna's suspicions. He couldn't let it pass, not when it had come to this stage.

"Stop lying to me, Madara… your vision is deteriorating and has been for a few months…Please, let me help you," pleaded Izuna.

Madara remained oddly silent as he lay within Izuna's protective embrace, and he sighed heavily into Izuna's chest.

"Guess I can't keep it from someone like you, you're bound to notice it anyway."

Izuna stroked Madara's hair reassuringly like a mother would to a child as he dug into his robes for some fresh bandages to stop the bleeding on Madara's shoulder.

"Izuna," Madara's grip on his brother's arm tightened, "If anything happens to me, I'm relying on you to protect and lead the Uchiha."

Izuna frowned, "Stop talking like you're going to be a dead man, aniki – I don't like to hear that coming from you of all people!"

"A blind Uchiha is a dead Uchiha," came Madara's voice as it echoed eerily along the temple walls.

And Izuna had to stop the traumatic images of a dead Madara from surfacing onto his mind as he carefully bandaged Madara's shoulder, careful not to give him any pain or discomfort while doing so.

**He couldn't think about it, his only surviving brother gone just like that. It was unthinkable and _unacceptable_. He had to do  _something_  about it. **

"Izuna…you know how much I'm against marriage to appease the elders…but perhaps, just this once, you should consider the marriage proposal to Akemi," came Madara's thin, weakly voice.

Izuna froze. The Uchiha elders had been pushing Izuna to marry a fellow Sharingan warrior, Uchiha Akemi, who was one of the finest female warriors in the Uchiha ranks. But Izuna had persistently deflected their attempts as he was insistent on marrying Toka instead.

But considering how Toka had just declared the end of their relationship and seeing Madara careening towards blindness and looking so forlorn and resignated in his arms, Izuna's heart was torn between love and duty…and being the dutiful child and brother he was, he knew, especially with the looming prospect of Madara's death in his face that he would have to perform this rightful duty to the clan.

It was painful just to think about it, and he embraced Madara as he nodded, "I understand, aniki. Rest assured I'll do what is right for the clan."

Madara looked up at him and cupped his face gently, "I am sorry you have to bear this burden, otouto…if I wasn't in this pitiful state….you wouldn't have to do this…I'm truly sorry…I've failed as an older brother to you…"

Izuna grabbed Madara's hands and tears threatened to fall from his eyes as he took in Madara's pained expression, "No, aniki, you're not a failure of a brother! You're the best brother and clan leader I've ever known, and it is an honor to perform my rightful duties as a brother to you!"

A sigh escaped Madara's lips as he hugged Izuna, guilt and relief washing over his form as the two Uchiha brothers shared an intimate moment of understanding.

It was a burden both of them had to bear, from the moment they had been born into the Uchiha clan leader's family and when they proved to be the most gifted warriors in the clan.

* * *

**Uchiha Base Camp**

That night, as he lay asleep, Madara couldn't help the emotional turmoil within him as he thought about the day's events at Kiyosato Meadow and the ancestral shrine.

Izuna didn't know it, but he was the one who wrote a note to Tobirama to inform him of the weekly rendez-vous between Izuna and Toka.

It was the right thing that older brothers did, lead their younger brothers towards the path that would bring the greatest happiness to them.

**_His otouto_**  deserved a better woman than that Senju Toka – everyone knew she was a kunoichi who traded sexual services in exchange for favors or important information. What good would a woman like that do to a fine, young and eligible man like his brother?

No, his otouto deserved a good, clean and respectable woman who can look after him, bear him children and he, as an older brother wouldn't have to worry about Izuna's future wife killing him in his sleep due to conflicting clan interests.

Izuna didn't know it, but Madara was the one who planted the idea of pushing Izuna to marry Akemi in the clan elders' heads. All it took was a little artful use of genjutsu, and the Uchiha elders were like unrelenting crones breathing mercilessly onto Izuna's back about marriage.

Izuna didn't know it, but if there was one thing that Madara had learned from Izuna, was cunning and manipulation. The marriage was one thing. His blindness was another. Madara would have been lying if he said his vision hadn't deteriorated since he attained the Mangekyou, but it was so easy to just fake the extent of his blindness in the spars he usually had with Izuna, not dodging or seeing when he should have…

He let Izuna slice his shoulder earlier, and with some emotional tugging of Izuna's heartstrings, it wasn't long before Izuna caved into Madara's pity parade and Madara fired up the duty-driven core that made Izuna such a loyal Uchiha warrior to induce him to agree to the marriage with Akemi.

Izuna may not appreciate Madara's efforts now, but he would later. That's what older brothers do, look out for their younger brothers and foresee and craft a better future for them when they couldn't do so themselves.

**_Right? Yes, Madara was right. He is convinced he is right. That's what older brothers do._ **

* * *

**End Notes:**

And voila! We start to see the more protective and manipulative side of Uchiha Madara as he tries to lead Izuna towards a path he thinks would be better for his little brother. I've always imagined Madara as not being manipulative by nature, unlike Izuna. However, when it concerns someone or something he loves and cares deeply about, Madara is highly capable of manipulations in all forms and becomes a master strategist in controlling people and their emotions as he deems is right.

It also fulfills my HC about Madara being a very protective and loving older brother to Izuna, and how all he has always wanted was the very best for Izuna. To the point that if he has to play the Devil's advocate, then so be it.

As for the vision, I'd always imagined Izuna and Toka to be reincarnations of people who were lovers in their previous lives but had committed a wrong that doomed them to be enemies in their next life. The vision only appears now after they know each other on a deeper level, and it triggers the flashback to their previous life along with a traumatic event that happens to them.

**[1] Magatama:**  Comma-shaped beads that resemble the tomoe of the Sharingan, and have historically been part of jewellery and necklaces in Japanese history dating from as far back as 1000AD. Magatama also appear on the Rikudo's clothing, and are a symbol of his divine power and abilities.

**[2] Arrow:**  A reference to the Susanoo technique of Indra's Arrow used by Sasuke Uchiha, especially in his fight with Rikudo Madara and Danzo.

**[3] Ritual of Indra:**  I'd always imagined the Uchiha ritual of induction of its warriors to be literally a baptism by fire, and I think it was highly symbolic if the inducted has his/her blood being consumed by flame as they pledged loyalty to the Uchiha clan. It ties back to the Uchiha being natural fire users and the use of Amaterasu by Izuna and Madara.

And yay! This marks the end of another chapter finally done! Please rate and review! :D

 


	16. Overprotected

_**Toka confronts Tobirama about his over-protectionism, Izuna meets his fiancée, and Toka finds herself a new secret admirer.** _

**Characters:**  Toka, Tobirama, Izuna, Akemi, Mito, Nara Shika, Yamanaka Izumi

* * *

**Spring 1595. Senju Base Camp**

"Do you enjoy it?"

"What?" asked Tobirama as he tilted his head towards Toka, who currently looked like a stone medusa uncoiling in rage.

**_"Do you enjoy ruining other people's happiness Tobirama! You know Izuna would never hurt me!"_**  she hissed, hands trembling.

"You don't know that, you'll never know that!" Tobirama retorted as he whirled round to face Toka, his arms folded and ready for the brewing storm ahead.

**"You see… You see! THIS is the problem with you! You ALWAYS see the worst in everybody** , you don't care if they've never done anything to cause you to think that way cos YOU JUST DO!" Toka cried, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"And so what if I just do? And what are YOU Toka? A mind reader now? Izuna and his people have been our enemies for HUNDREDS of years, and we have been KILLING each other's families so much we can't even keep track of all the bad blood between us – and after all that, you still expect me to believe he loves you whole-heartedly and will NEVER hurt you?"

"YES, by the gods, YES. Because it is precisely this mentality of yours that keeps us in this hellish war and cycle of hatred!"

And Tobirama sighs.

"You sound like Hashirama right now," he said.

He hears a low, resigned sigh, and Toka's morbid chuckle behind her hands.

"Yes I do, don't I? I can't believe it either…I used to think the same way you do, Tobi. That humans were inherently flawed and if given the chance, will do  ** _nothing good_** , and I used to laugh at Hashirama all the damn time…"

A pause, a deep breath.

"But then, I don't know what happened Tobi… It's as though I just couldn't care about anything else and just leapt – I plunged into the unknown, into Izuna's arms…and then everything else, all that Hashirama has been babbling about suddenly made sense."

"Love – love is about believing the very best in someone, regardless of who they are or all the wrongs they've done to you. It's all about faith, Tobi. Perhaps if monsters were really given the chance and faith to prove themselves, I'm pretty sure they would never want to disappoint us. Monsters are humans too, Tobi, and love is about giving them the chance to prove that – we are more than weapons and tools, Tobi. We – WE are all humans, we bleed the same."

As the words tumble out of her mouth, Toka's eyes are wide and it is as though all that she couldn't verbalize before suddenly came out like a well rehearsed speech Hashirama would make, and it shocked her.

**Yes, love is about faith. And sometimes that is all it takes to change the world.**

She looks up to see Tobirama stare at her with a slight frown on his face, and she knows – her old self knows exactly what he was going to say. Because she used to say the same thing too.

"That's all nice and well Toka if we were living in a world without war and bloodshed. But that's  ** _just not possible_**  – you spent a few years living in the court and you know better than me the very things people would do once they have free reign to do what they want!"

Straightening up, he continued, "If there were to be true peace, there needs to be rules – rules to govern our actions and set boundaries… people like the Uchiha cannot be trusted to their own devices…that's just the way the world works."

Toka looks at Tobirama, a mere twenty years old and already speaking like the jaded soul of an eighty-year-old. And even though she should be angry with him, lash out at him, even hate him for what he did to her she just couldn't bring herself to hit him.

If anything, Toka felt sorry for Tobirama, wise amongst his peers and yet blind to the hidden desires of people's hearts.

Tobirama was a tool, as were all shinobi in this bloodstained world. Humans fashioned to be mindless tools that didn't seek to break through the orders that the devious daimyos and rivaling noble families inflicted upon them.

And if Toka were to be truthful to herself, she empathized with Tobirama because she too could never fully trust an enemy – her cautiousness with Izuna even in that period of whirlwind romance proved that.

**_"I'm sorry, Tobirama. Sorry that you're just a tool – I once was too, and I'm sorry that that's all you are."_ **

She steps past him and pauses at the door.

**_"You don't need to worry about me anymore, Tobi._**  I know better than to engage in any form of relationship with an Uchiha, much less Izuna of all people. But if there is even a slightest chance of peace with the Uchiha, I will be supporting Hashirama on it this time round, and I suggest you consider that prospect too."

She turns to look at Tobirama, and her eyes soften slightly at his rigid back – tense and guarded since she could remember and feels a sense of pity.

**"Perhaps one day, when you come to truly love someone you will finally understand what I mean,"**  she whispers, and slides the door open to leave.

Tobirama freezes before he turns round to stare in the direction that Toka had just left, his mind a whirl of emotions as he grapples to hold on to his strong belief that humans just couldn't be trusted, much less corrupt human monsters like the Uchiha.

But what Toka just said, it struck him to his very core and it  ** _hurt_**. Not so much because he was wrong, but because what she said was true.

**Tobirama had always been a soldier, nothing more and nothing less.**  A soldier to the daimyo, a soldier to his father, a soldier to the clan. Love was never a language he spoke or understood because no one ever loved him in that gentle, passionate way that people wrote about in books.

And try as hard as he might, in those times when he read love novels out of pure desperation, Tobirama just  ** _could not_**  understand what were these emotions they spoke of.

**Because his life was devoid of love – it was a life of duty, honor and survival.**

Despite all his efforts not to, Tobirama realized that he was becoming just like Butsuma. Cold, objective, and putting the clan's needs above everyone else's – including himself and his loved ones. The self-sacrificial leader, the Devil's Advocate.

But what could he do? Hashirama's ideals were nice and all, but the world was not as simple and idealistic for Hashirama's plans to work out just like that.  ** _1000 years of blood was not going to be wiped off so easily. Life dealt him this lot – this lot of being the more responsible, more calculating, more realistic one, and his people's lives are at stake._**

**_What could he do?_ **

Tobirama didn't know it, but years from now, when he eventually did fall in love, would he finally come to understand what Toka meant about love being that freefall leap of faith that allowed man to transcend his very corrupt nature.

* * *

**March 1595, Uchiha Garden**

Sensing a gentle presence behind, Izuna turned round to see none other than his fiancée Akemi making her way towards him, dressed in the dark regal robes of the Uchiha Main House and looking as refined and beautiful as the Uchiha princess she was.

Uchiha Akemi was the  **second cousin [1]**  of Izuna and Madara, and undisputably one of the finest kunoichi the Uchiha clan had ever produced. Where most Uchiha women were only fit for basic combat and espionage, Akemi was one of the most feared kunoichi in the Uchiha clan, right after Izuna, Madara and their cousin Hikaku.

Outside of the clan walls she was known as the  ** _"Flying Fan of the Uchiha"_** , a tribute to her incredible speed and expertise with flying fans that either shot out poison needles, sliced enemies' necks or set them on fire.

Izuna's eyes rested upon one such battle fan that was hidden discreetly along her kimono sash and had to fight the coiling feeling of unease at the prospect of Akemi whipping it out to attack him.  ** _She was dangerous, and he knew it._**

Being the de facto princess of the Uchiha clan had made Akemi famous for being a rather spoilt and demanding woman who was highly sensitive of anyone and everyone around her, and every single Uchiha, including Madara had learnt the importance of treating her with every bit of respect she thinks she deserves.

Apparently, that included the laying out of her intended marriage terms and conditions.

**_"Akemi, you look beautiful today,"_**  Izuna greets, bowing his head slightly in acknowledgement.

Akemi smiles – a proud and smug smile on her pink lips as her dark Uchiha eyes light up in triumph.

Aside from their battle prowess and incredible chakra, the Uchiha were also known for producing handsome men and women, and Uchiha Izuna so happened to be the most handsome the clan produced in his generation. Combined with his status as second-in-line to the clan leadership, and his impressive Mangekyou, he was the most desired bachelor in the clan.

For her to be engaged to him – well, all Akemi could say was that she absolutely loved it.

**_Oh, what all my friends would say, they'll be sooo jealous,_**  she thinks.

"Thank you, Izuna. I'm pretty sure you know why I asked for this meeting?" she greeted back, her voice light and breathy.

Izuna nods, politely.

"Of course I do, and I'm glad you requested for it. It would be a gross dishonor to treat a fellow Sharingan warrior with less than the respect they deserve," he replies, a smile plastered on his face.

It was half true – Izuna did not ever want to mistreat a woman, much less an Uchiha woman with the prized Sharingan. That was an insult to all women, and he had always held female warriors in high regard. And as Izuna takes in Akemi's face and form, he decides that she is indeed a very beautiful woman – the classic Uchiha beauty with her distinctly patrician features, flawless porcelain skin and onyx eyes that bore the pride and light of an intelligent and capable woman.

Izuna internally shrugged – at least the elders had good taste. He was sure he could step in and fulfill Madara's duty to the clan by producing strong heirs with this woman, and frankly, that was all that mattered to Izuna right now as his mind drifted to Madara's oncoming blindness. It was a habit lately, always thinking of Madara and his failing vision at any possible free moment.

Akemi smiled, pleased with Izuna's answer.

"I know what everyone says about me, Izuna – that I'm a spoilt, demanding woman who doesn't know her limits, but I'd like to assure you that's not true, and I mean it," she begins as she eyes him hawkishly.

Izuna lets out a small and nervous laugh. "That's nice to know, Akemi."

She grins back as she steps forward so that she was just a few steps away from him.

"I only ask for three things, Izuna. Equality, loyalty and respect. Pretty standard, don't you think?"

And she quirks her lips in that sardonically sweet way that everyone knew was "Akemi's smile", because she was dangerous and alluring at the same time, daring you to contradict or even worse, refuse her.

**Equality, loyalty and respect. Those were the three founding principles of Uchiha marriages, and hardly any Uchiha would be caught dead flouting them.**

Izuna remembered his uncle once telling him about a man who cheated on his wife by keeping a mistress outside the Uchiha clan, and even had children with her. Unfortunately for him, his wife discovered the affair and proceeded to kill him and his unsuspecting mistress and children after that. The Uchiha clan said nothing and the elders and clan leader were entirely permissive of it.

The Uchiha were warriors, and had a strict code of loyalty and honor that came with bearing the Uchiha name. Trust was the very core of the warrior code, and any breach of that trust was tantamount to treason and betrayal.

And Izuna wonders if he will be next in line if he ever decides to rekindle his relationship with Toka outside his marriage and outside the Uchiha clan walls.

**_But he cannot think of it, not now when Madara and the clan need him the most._ **

Pushing the unpleasant thoughts out of his head, Izuna does the only thing he should do, and says "Yes, of course, Akemi."

Akemi smiles, radiant and beautifully captivating, and walks up to him, eyes sparkling in anticipation and Izuna has been around enough women to know exactly what she wants and acquiesces to her hidden desires.

He wraps a strong arm around Akemi's waist and pulls her in, locking lips with his fiancé and soon-to-be bride, breathing in the intoxicating scent of sandalwood and the unsavory tang of broken promises and conflicting loyalties in the air as they clung to Akemi's svelte form.

Akemi sighs, content and blissful as she revels in the attention Izuna's tongue is placing upon her lips and kisses him back.

From any onlooker's point of view, the kiss between the couple was passionate and romantic, a promise of a bright future to come.

But Izuna had never felt more empty or traitorous his entire life as he kissed Akemi, his heart clenching tight from the painful burden he had to bear as he fought the urge to incessantly tug at that invisible red string that bound him and Toka together.

That was when his long dead older brother, Kazuhiko's voice rang like a mellow bell in his head,  ** _"The shinobi world has no place for witless emotions, otouto."_**

* * *

**Summer, 1595, Nara Forest**

"This outfit is making me feel itchy, I'm going to go change out," grumbled Nara Shika as he pulled at the long sleeves of his formal outfit.

"No way, Shika! This is a party and you're the Nara clan's heir, you can't go around looking like a slob! And knowing you, you'll just disappear off somewhere to smoke or play shogi!" came the shrill, girly voice of Yamanaka Izumi as she slapped him on the arm.

Shika winced – the playful jab came out rather violent and it was written all over his face.

"Fine," Shika relented, rubbing his arm where she had hit him, " ** _troublesome woman."_**

"Naaaaw Shika, you'll thank me for that when you finally get to impress Senju Toka with your dashing good looks and classy sense of style!" grinned Izumi as she sidled mischievously up to him and nudged him in the Senju delegation's direction.

Groaning, Shika swiped Izumi's hand away like he would an irritating fly, because that was what she was.

"Stop it Izumi! For the last time, I'm  ** _not_**  interested in Toka in that way! She's just one of the very few individuals I can connect with on an intellectual level, unlike  ** _some_**  people whose goals in life just revolve around being the prettiest kunoichi in the entire Fire Country."

That was it, Izumi was all ready to pounce on him and even use her mind switching jutsu on him when Mito walked over cheerfully in greeting, "Izumi! There you are! Come along, and stop looking like you're going to murder Shika in cold blood! You don't wanna miss the private girls' party that Toka and I have secretly organized!"

At the phrase "girls' party", Izumi, in typical Yamanaka fashion, quickly withdrew her fearsome claws from Shika and offered Mito a dazzling smile as her eyes lit up in excitement, "Oh yes please, Mito-san! Why didn't you tell me earlier? Then I wouldn't be stuck babysitting this anti-social slob over here."

Izumi rudely gestured towards Shika, and Mito, mentally chuckling at the weird yet humorous dynamic between the Nara and Yamanaka clan heirs, grabbed Izumi's hand and led her away to the party.

Nara Shika huffed in relief and annoyance as he leaned against the wooden post, uninterested in the ongoing party that was set up to celebrate the alliance between the Senju, Sarutobi, Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka clans.  ** _The most important thing was signed and done, why would people waste their energy to put up a good show about something that was already done?_**

**_Troublesome, the whole lot of these humans._ **

And what was even more troublesome was that Yamanaka Izumi, the horrifically perceptive girl she was despite her blonde bimbo façade she loved to put on all the time, was absolutely right about Shika liking none other than the Senju heiress.

It wasn't that hard to imagine, really. Nara Shika never considered himself the least bit licentious, unlike many of his shinobi peers. A pretty girl was a pretty girl, that's it.  ** _Even worse_**  if she was a bimbo or wannabe bimbo and prima donna like Yamanaka Izumi.

But the first time he met Toka – that was when Shika finally understood the meaning of the word "beautiful" which so many lecherous men loved to wantonly throw at women they were interested in. With her flowing, wavy brown locks, mesmerizing aquamarine eyes, and just that intelligent and proud bearing when she walked into the room – well, Shika was hooked.

His subsequent interactions and conversations with her on topics from battle strategies to medical ninjutsu just sealed the deal for him. Senju Toka was not only a breathtakingly beautiful amazon, she was a smart one at that. And like every Nara in the family, Shika liked smart women.

The only problem was that the Nara and Senju clans had just entered into a new alliance, despite the longer history of collaboration between the two, and the Nara clan did not have the prestige and power that the Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, Sarutobi and Uzumaki had. It was no secret either that inter-clan marriages in this era were mostly about tactical alliances, money, power and face. Having the Senju heiress marry the Nara clan head would be seen as marrying down, but with the new alliance and the Nara's expertise in medical ninjutsu, Shika was confident that he would win the Senju clan and even Toka's favor in the long run.

He just had to do what all smart Nara did – plan a strategy, and if that didn't work, plan another 1000 back up strategies in place of it.

**_So troublesome._ **

And he lit up a cigarette and began puffing away, letting his mind wonder about the greater questions and philosophies the universe had to offer an enlightened individual like him.

* * *

**Summer 1595, Nara Mansion**

"Ohhh! Ohhh! He's just soooo handsome, Toka! That dreamy look in his eyes, and he's so tall and handsome, and his body – his body, praise the rikudo sennin, is just perfect!"

Toka could only watch and smile politely as Yamanaka Izumi continued gushing all over her brother Senju Takeshi – all because he danced with her just now and complimented her on how beautiful she was.

**_It was awkward. There should be a rule that says you do not talk to someone about how attractive their sibling is, much less what you wanted to do to their private areas,_**  thought Toka as she internally grimaced as Izumi went on a vivid description of how she thought Takeshi looked like under those clothes.

Mito caught Toka's eye and giggled – she knew how longsuffering Toka was being about this new talk about Takeshi being the ladies' man in the alliance party. Even the clan heiresses, Sarutobi Hanako and Akimichi Hotaru were joining Izumi in her verbal adoration and praise of Takeshi.

"Come on, Izumi stop gushing and start doing something if you're really that in love with him," teased Mito as she slapped Izumi playfully on the leg.

**_Oh, great. NOW Izumi was really going to start talking._ **

Toka eyed Mito, incredulous.  ** _Traitor._**  But Mito brushed it off, laughing away.

That got Izumi to finally stop gushing and sigh wistfully.

"You're right, Mito-san! I should start working towards making him my husband," declared Izumi as her face broke into a seductive and cunning smile, and Toka started wondering if Takeshi had finally met his match in the dating arena. This Izumi was one pretty and seductive fox.

"Toka! You're his sister right? Share some tips with us! What sort of girls does he like? What are his favourite hobbies and food?" asked Izumi excitedly.

**Now this was very awkward.**

"What kind of question is that Izumi! This is so awkward, I'm his sister!" protested Toka as she felt a dozen pair of hungry eyes upon her, demanding that she give up precious information on how to seduce her brother.

"Precisely! Now spill the dirt, sister!" laughed Izumi.

Toka sighed. If that was what she wanted to play, so be it. Toka ended up muttering a few absolutely general and useless information like "Takeshi likes girls with long hair," "Takeshi likes to go hunting," or "Takeshi likes a girl with a good attitude," and was terribly amused at how all the girls, especially Izumi lapped it up like Toka was some oracle that bestowed them with some divine revelation.

It was too funny.

"Oh Toka, you just wait, soon I'll be calling you sister-in-law," said Izumi as she winked suggestively at Toka.

"Oh?" Toka smirked back, "Let's see how good you are Izumi-chan."

"You won't be disappointed," Izumi remarked confidently.

There was a short silence as something seemed to suddenly come up in Izumi's mind that she had forgotten to mention in the midst of her Takeshi crush.

"Speaking of future husbands, like my Takeshi," began Izumi (and Toka had to stop herself from cringing at the phrase "my Takeshi"), "I heard that the Uchiha clan's second in command is getting married!"

A shocked silence followed as everyone tried to wrap their heads around what Izumi just said, and it was as though someone had just clubbed Toka in the head because her mind was a blank white canvas at the phrase "getting married".

A cacophony of "What you can't be serious?" "Where did you hear this from?" "How do you know it's really true?" filled the entire room but Toka did not hear them.

**"Silence and let Izumi do the talking!"**

A shrill and authoritative command rang through the room and cut the chatter immediately as everyone turned to stare at Mito, who was on her feet and staring the girls down, daring them to continue their unruly behavior.

That was a distraction, and Toka was grateful for it, and despite her inner turmoil, she found it in herself to be awed and happy for Mito that she was fast becoming worthy of the title "wife of the Senju leader."

When everyone was fully quieted down, Mito nodded in approval before taking a seat back down on the futon and all eyes were drawn towards Izumi, who seemed overly eager to pour out the gossip she had been holding back for very long as Mito tried to quiet everyone down.

"Anyway, I heard this from one of my clansmen, who has been tracking and doing reconnaissance missions on the Uchiha clan for a few years now, so this is legitimate information."

**_"Uchiha Izuna is slated to marry Uchiha Akemi – you know the Flying Fan of the Uchiha?"_ **

_"That girl? She's a cocky one, why would he marry her?"_

_"Yeah, but she's beautiful isn't she? I saw her once, and she's awful pretty and graceful like them Uchiha ladies."_

_"No way, why isn't Madara getting married first?"_

_"Well, they're both lucky aren't they? Both married to good-looking and powerful AND important people."_

As all the women in the room voiced out their opinions about the latest news, Toka kept silent and tried her very best to appear only interested in the news for political reasons.

What the women didn't see were the burning questions in Toka's mind and her aching heart.

**_Did Izuna really love her? Why did he marry so soon right after their break-up? Did he not care for her at all? What if he's only marrying Akemi out of obligation? WAIT, did he know about this arrangement before they started their clandestine meetings? Why should she care? They've broken up already, haven't they and what is his business is his business – so why does she care?_ **

**_Dammit. Damn it all to hell._ **

Later, when Hashirama asked Toka if she managed to get any information from the alliance and the party, all he saw was Toka's impassive face as she reported the upcoming marriage of Uchiha Izuna and how this merited the Senju's attention – considering how both bride and groom were powerful members, and the interesting question of why Madara was not the one to marry her instead.

But Tobirama knew better. As he looked at Toka, he was impressed that she was able to hide her emotions so well. He would not have known had he not been involved in the breaking up of her relationship with Izuna.

He should be happy, that it meant the end of any kind of relationship the two of them had. And yet, there was that niggling part inside Tobirama that wondered if he didn't intervene, if Toka would be the one getting a happy ending with the man she loved, and Tobirama felt that guilty stab as acutely as he had earlier that spring.

* * *

**End Notes:**

And finally this chapter is up! I'm so sorry for the long wait, life has been terribly busy and I haven't had a lot of time to write. But I'm glad this is done, and I wanted to show how love changed Toka's view on how to approach the bad relations between warring clans, and how Tobirama himself is starting to question his cynicism and trying to come to terms with reality and Hashirama's idealism. I also wanted to show how despite Izuna's passionate love for Toka, he is also bound by the love he has for his clan and his brother, and is very duty-driven, and that conflicts with his desire for Toka instead of Akemi. But given the circumstances in that era, he had pretty much no choice in it.

As for the alliance with the Sarutobi, Akimichi, Nara and Yamanaka, I've always had this headcanon of them being in close and cordial relations with the Senju historically, given how Tobirama chose Hiruzen as his successor and the Nara being the Hokage's advisors for generations. I also wanted to flesh these clans out, as they don't get much development in the warring states era, and I'm pretty sure they were just as badass as the Uchiha and Senju clans in that time. J

Oh, and as for Nara Shika, yes he does like Toka. But is it reciprocal? ;)

**[1] Second Cousin**. Basically, Akemi Uchiha is the daughter of the cousin of one of Izuna's parents, meaning that they have the same great-grandparents.

Please rate and review! :D

 


	17. Marriage

Izuna marries Akemi, Toka receives shocking news from Tokugawa, a close friendship starts to blossom between two unexpected people, and Mito brings joyful news to the clan.  **WARNING** : Poorly-written sex scene/smut & hints of slight(?) domestic violence.  **PROCEED WITH CAUTION**

**Characters:**  Izuna, Akemi, Toka, Tobirama, Mito, Tokugawa Ieyasu

* * *

**Summer 1595, Uchiha clan Compound**

It was a cool summer's night and the wind blew a gentle caress on Izuna's cheek as he stood at the window, watching the silvery moon in the dark skies above, reminiscing of a similar night just a year ago where he and Toka stood under the same sky at Himeji.

**_How sad, how tragic that they were born in times of war._**  It was as if the gods above were playing a joke on them, placing them in enemy clans that have been warring for centuries, and Izuna faintly wondered if he had committed a grievous sin in his past life to deserve this.

The war was taking its toll on everyone, including the Uchiha, and Izuna was not blind to it. Despite Toyotomi's impressive backing and growing alliance network, Tokugawa was building up his own power at a tremendous speed that was sending little shockwaves of alarm in Toyotomi's court. The latest news of the Senju alliance with the Sarutobi and Ino-Shika-Cho clans were just the tip of the iceberg, and Izuna didn't want to think about the domino effect this would have on alliances further down the road.

The wedding ceremony earlier that day was a brief respite from the horrors and bloodshed of war, and Izuna was glad that at least his marriage brought happiness, relief and joy to the Uchiha, even if he did not feel the same way.

For once, he could see his clansmen laugh and be merry, see the children actually have a chance to be children for a day – running around collecting sweets and playing the games that would otherwise have been shinobi training tools on regular days. For once, he could see the smile on Madara's face as he embraced him, pride and gratitude evident in his gaze.

**_Thank you, otouto, for all your sacrifices._**  That was what it said. And Izuna was more than happy to place his happiness and innate desires on the altar of sacrifice if it meant the clan and his brother could be free and happy.

Despite the calm, peaceful atmosphere that hung around the Uchiha compound, the war continued to rage on in Izuna's mind as it careened into a dizzying whirlwind of strategies, plots and alliances to further boost the Uchiha and Toyotomi's position and win the war.

**_Maybe, just maybe_** , if Toyotomi did win and become Shogun of the entire land, and the Uchiha are to be the victors of the bloody era, he would get to see Toka again. He knew how the losers of war were treated. The head families were to be spared as per tradition, and women and children sometimes taken as spoils of war. Izuna smirked. Maybe then he would have a chance to claim her as his own.

"You know, you shouldn't be standing under the moonlight for too long – that  **yin energy**   **[1]**  is not good for anyone who wishes to be of a decent mind."

Izuna's thoughts were forcefully broken by a lilting and delicate voice that floated like butterflies, faint and teasing as he turned round to face his wife Akemi.

There stood Akemi, clothed in a soft and silky black robe that dipped low enough to offer Izuna a tantalizing view of her supple and rounded breasts. Her hair was a blanket of the darkest ebony that splayed across her pale shoulders, and under the moonlight her skin glowed with an ethereal light that seemed to make her a transcendent fairy of the night rather than a mere mortal human.

Izuna may love Toka, but he was still a man – and no man could resist the allure of their wife offering themselves up to them in such beauty and seduction. Or at least, that's what Izuna told himself as he mentally prepared for the task at hand.

Not wasting any time, Izuna glided purposefully and slowly towards her, eyeing her as a hawk would its prey, biding its time to go in for the fastest kill as he circled around her, knowing how much she loved that hungry look in his eyes as she stood there meekly, waiting for the final swoop.

Izuna's lips twisted into a smirk. He was a hunter, and naturally loved the thrill of a hunt, and Akemi, smart woman like she was, knew it and played the docile role of his prey just like she  ** _thought_**  he wanted her to.

_**They don't call the Uchiha clan a clan of illusionists for nothing. Appearances were mere illusions, and Izuna knew better than to fall for appearances.** _

Akemi tilted her head slightly, exposing her long neck, and that was all it took for Izuna to swoop in, grabbing her forcefully by the waist and pulling her close against his tall and muscular frame as he pinned her forcefully against the wall.

"I am the master tonight," he whispered lowly into her ear, and Akemi smirked at his display of aggressive dominance, faintly amused and aroused. She loved dominant men, especially handsome and powerful dominant men like Izuna.

**But she wasn't to be tamed so easily.**

Grabbing Izuna's neck, she pulled him in for a passionate, searing hot kiss as she slipped her tongue into his mouth, her toes tingling in sheer delight when his tongue brushed sensually past hers in a fight for dominance.

It was pure sin, how much lust there was in their kiss as they grinded forcefully into each other, daring the other to surrender in this deadly game of lovemaking. Impatient, Izuna grabbed Akemi's silky locks and pulled hard, jerking her head forcefully up as his hot breath caressed her swollen lips.

"I said I am the master tonight," he growled lowly,  **sharingan[2]**  eyes ablaze in silent warning.

His hands moved, trailing a searing hot blaze down to where her womanly chalice was and began rubbing a finger teasingly and testily around the soft bud, drawing lazy circles that only intensified in speed and pressure as Akemi began feeling the pooling heat below.

_Damn_ , she thought, as she let her hands rove freely across her husband's chest, savoring the tense and sculpted muscles beneath as her gaze wandered across those perfect and well-defined abs, watching as two lines dipped in a tantalizing V towards his aroused member hidden beneath the dark fabric he wore. Her breath hitched for the quickest of moments when she felt his long, spindly finger enter her smoothly and she hissed as his other finger continued to lavish pleasure upon her engorged bud.

"Wet already, aren't we?" came Izuna's teasing and low voice as she raised her eyes to meet his Sharingan.

**Red like blood. Red like how he was kissing her.**

"Not as wet as you will be when I'm done with you," she purred back, as she started palming his bulging erection in slow and practiced strokes, smirking in triumph to see Izuna twitch in faint annoyance at the unrelenting challenge in her eyes and fighting the urge to cave in to his desires and fuck her there and then.

"Presumptuous girl," chided Izuna as he bared his teeth in a ferocious snarl, his Sharingan morphing into the fearsome Mangekyou as he jerked her head back again, eliciting a pained cry from his wife as he attacked her ivory neck, sucking and occasionally biting, leaving trails of red bruises blooming in his wake.

All the while his hand never left her womanly chalice, his finger rubbing her throbbing clit at an erratic pace, leaving Akemi breathless and moaning in pleasure as her sharpened nails dragged painfully down his back, and she pushed – pushed in an attempt to break free from the corner Izuna had pinned her to, but Izuna was too fast. Seizing the opportunity from her attempt to break free, he slipped even more digits past her spread legs and curled them at an angle he knew would make his newly wedded wife start screaming his name like the pretty little kitty she was.

A minute of fingering her like that left the whole room full of Akemi's wanton moans as she arched her back painfully into him, coating his fingers with her slick juices as she stared up at him through heavily lidded eyes, her Sharingan glowing lustily back at him, silently begging him to just fuck her already.

_I surrender…just do it already._

And Izuna grinned, triumphant and dark as he let his pants fall free and entered the glorious wet heat of Akemi, grunting as her vaginal muscles contracted so beautifully around his cock.

_"Yes, my little girl, now you know who is the true master of this house"_ , he said as his Sharingan bore deeply into Akemi's, burning that message into her mind as he pulls back and slams back into her at an increasingly erratic pace…faster, deeper, stronger…

And just when Akemi's screams echo shrilly around the room, his cock jerks and he sees white before he releases violently, pouring his seed into her.

**_Done. It is done._ **

And he lets go, leaning forcefully into the wall, with Akemi strung up against him with her back against the wall as her limbs went slack and she collapsed into his tall and muscular frame, blissful and content.

The newly wed couple stayed like that for a few moments, each attempting to catch their breath as the adrenaline and post coital high pumped through their veins.

Looking up, Akemi saw her husband's beautiful and handsome face and kissed him lightly on his cheek as she embraced him, her body already missing that closeness and connection they had when he rammed forcefully into her just a few moments ago.

Smiling faintly, Izuna brushed her hair away from her face and hugged her back, stroking her back soothingly – a simple apology for his violent display of dominance earlier on. A  **necessary thing** **[3]** , but Izuna was a gentleman at heart, and he always knew how to compensate for it through tender touches and kisses as he carried his wife onto their marriage bed, laying her to rest before he too succumbed into the welcome stupor of sleep.

* * *

**1000 years ago**

Otsutsuki Eiji stared at her as she played and danced amongst the waves and the trees of the nearby forest. He had kept himself well hidden amongst the dark veil of the shadows from the mountain and watched with hawk-like eyes as he memorized every single graceful movement of her supple, long limbs and every radiant, sweet smile she threw towards her brother Hisashi.

**_Gosh, she was so beautiful._ **

Eiji couldn't remember just how many times he had done this – watching her from afar in hiding like a predator would a prey. But he did remember the first time he laid eyes upon her – it was in the spring of his tenth birthday, and for the very first time, his father, the great Otsutsuki Indra, was going to bring him and his older brother, Akira, to meet their estranged uncle, Otsutsuki Ashura in a temporary armistice agreement.

The first thing he saw wasn't the tall, imposing figure of Ashura, but rather, the tiny, svelte figure crowned in wavy golden locks and with eyes as blue as the ocean – whom he soon found out was his cousin and daughter of Ashura, Otsutsuki Terumi.

Eiji was only ten, and ten-year-old boys couldn't be trusted to keep their eyes to themselves when confronted with girls they were absolutely besotted with. Even Akira himself kept glancing at Terumi when he thought their fathers weren't looking. But Eiji knew that Akira was more interested in the person beside Terumi, Otsutsuki Hideo and older brother of Terumi and Hisahi. Both of them were rivals since their fathers placed them on the battlefield, and since then, Akira kept training harder and harder in an attempt to beat Hideo and bring glory and righteousness back to Indra's branch of the family.

Later on, as Eiji walked back home with Indra, his father suddenly placed a hand upon his shoulder to stop him.

"I know how you feel about Terumi," he begins, and Eiji sees a pair of stern eyes appraising him, a glint of hatred and concern in his father's eyes.

**_"Know this – it is impossible between the two of you. Not only because we are enemies, but she is your cousin. These thoughts are wrong and incestuous, put them away lest they consume you beyond your control."_ **

Eiji never forgot those words, but he also never forgot the image of Terumi in his mind and his burning desire and passion each time he looked upon her beautiful form. If winning this war meant claiming her, he would pour his all into it just to hold her in his arms.

* * *

Izuna jolted awake, frantic and confused as he woke from the vision. It was that vision again – the vision of him as Indra's second son and in the warring era between Otsutsuki Indra and his brother Ashura.

He couldn't understand why this was happening to him – it definitely was not a genjutsu illusion cast upon him by someone with a terrible sense of humor. Ever since that spring when he and Toka were forcefully separated by Madara and Tobirama, it was as if the trauma from it had triggered something deep within his mind and soul to awaken and give rise to all these visions.

Visions of his past life as Otsutsuki Eiji, pining after his cousin Terumi – whom he was forbidden from loving for the mere simple fact that she was his cousin by blood and their fathers hated each other.

The scariest part of it all was that Izuna started to  ** _feel_**  Eiji's presence within him, clinging to him like a ghost would cling onto a human, enveloping him with his chakra and inducing him to live his past life again and again through these vivid visions that consumed him at night.

He was possessed, he was possessed with Eiji's all-consuming desire and love for her. Toka, she was his Terumi, his long-lost love in lifetimes past, and if there was one thing Izuna knew, it was that nothing – not even the oceans of time or the war around them would stop him from finding her and claiming her.

**_I love you, Toka._ **

And then his eyes fell upon the sleeping form of his wife and he feels a guilty stab through his heart as memories of his lustful consummation with her flashes through his mind, marring the pristine image of the Senju heiress in his mind's eye.

Guilty, he was so guilty for letting his manly desires get out of control and making love to a woman he didn't love at all so passionately. Izuna felt his fingers curl tightly against the sheets, as he fought the other voice in his head that insisted that it was all for a good show and he was doing his rightful duty to the clan. But it was useless, his head ached and he needed to do something.

And with that, he discreetly got out of his marriage bed, careful not to stir Akemi awake as he padded quietly outside and gave a short whistle.

Within a few seconds, Tobi, his ever loyal hawk, came swooping down gracefully and landed upon his outstretched arm, blinking at Izuna with a bright gaze that seemed to say  _"I know what this is all about."_

Stroking Tobi's tuft of down feathers, Izuna placed a single stalk of a pink rose to his beak. Tobi, upon seeing the rose, shifted excitedly and upon receiving it, spread his wings and took flight into the cold night sky above.

**_"Heh,"_**  mused Izuna,  ** _"I wonder what got him so excited. Must be the rabbit meat she gives him all the time."_**

* * *

**Spring 1596, Senju Clan Compound**

"Are you serious?" demanded Toka, wide-eyed as she stared at Mito in disbelief.

"Yes, yes I am! I'm pregnant," repeated Mito as she unconsciously placed a protective hand over her flat stomach, her face stretched into a bright smile as she glanced at Tobirama and Toka.

Toka couldn't believe it. Well, she could believe that Mito was finally pregnant with Hashirama's child after two years of marriage, but at the same time… the thought of a new life entering this world, a new family – it was just all  ** _so full of hope and promise and life – so absolutely foreign_** that Toka just couldn't bring herself to think there was not a hint of genjutsu in it.

"Congratulations, Mito, you're going to be a mother, and a proud one of that I'm sure," smiled Toka as she enveloped Mito in a bear hug.

Behind her, Tobirama smiled – really smiled and he waited for Toka to detach herself from Mito before he offered an embrace for his sister-in-law, arms extended and lips quirked up in pride.

"Thank you, Mito. We are all so happy for you," Tobirama said as he gifted her with one of his rare smiles again.

"The Senju clan will soon have a new heir, and I think the gods couldn't have been more kind to us than they are now," Tobirama continued.

It was true – in this time of war, it was of great importance that clan leaders produce as many heirs as possible, and for a while, Tobirama had been concerned about it given that more than a year had passed and Hashirama and Mito were still childless.

He had rolled his eyes, when Hashirama told him that it was because Mito wasn't ready and still wanted her freedom. His brother could be too much of a gentleman at times, but he guessed that was what Mito appreciated about Hashirama.

But now – at last, the Senju would have a new son to look upon, to hold up in pride and bring the clan to further glory and victory, and most importantly, Tobirama  ** _couldn't wait_**  to tutor his future niece or nephew in the Senju clan's famous water jutsu when the real time came.

* * *

**Summer 1595, Nara Mansion**

"Well that settles it – we shall reconvene in two months' time," said Tokugawa flatly, announcing the end of the three-hour long meeting with the clan heads of the Senju, Sarutobi and Ino-Shika-Cho.

It was a mind-riddling meeting filled with pent up frustrations and objections as Tokugawa announced that he was going to go into the next phase of his relationship with Toyotomi –  **Rapprochement[4].**

Or rather, making peace with Toyotomi and pretending to submit to his authority and be his loyal vassal.

It did not go well with the clan heads, even if Tokugawa was pretending – they had a common enemy in the Uchiha, and it was no secret that doing that would indirectly place them under the power and subservience of the Uchiha. Politically speaking, at least.

Toka couldn't be more glad that it was all finally over – she literally had to use her genjutsu to control the unbridled and seething hot tempers of the Sarutobi and Akimichi clan heads, and for good reason too.

Sarutobi Sasuke was a formidable man known throughout the clans as " ** _The Monkey God"_**  due to his powerful monkey summons and the incredible ability to shapeshift and  **transform at will[5].**  When Tokugawa had announced that he was going to have a Rapproachement with Toyotomi it was as though all hell broke loose in Sasuke's mind and Toka was pretty sure he would have transformed into a gorilla and crushed Tokugawa's head with his bare hands if given a chance.

And loyal bodyguard and private aide as she was, Toka was  **not**  going to allow that to happen, as much as she liked Sarutobi Sasuke as a clan head and person.

She watched as the five clan heads and their coterie of elders marched out of the hall, whispering and muttering in disapproval at the news their patron had just dropped upon their unsuspecting minds. Unacceptable.

When they finally cleared the room and the door shut with an audible thud, Tokugawa straightened up and fixed Toka with one of his perceptive and calculating stares.

"Toka, my dear girl. Please have a seat," and he gestured calmly to the cushion that was placed directly beside him.

Obediently, Toka made her way gracefully over to the empty cushion and kneeled as her hands reached across to the teapot on the table in front of her and poured some tea into Tokugawa's cup, watching intently as the heat rose from the cup in whisps of thin smoke.

It was an honor to pour tea for Tokugawa – he never ever allowed anyone aside from his most trusted aides to do so, given how he had so many political enemies, known and unknown, each trying to get rid of him with every single method available, from outright assassins to poisoning his food and drinks.

But Toka was his private bodyguard, spy and warrior since the Senju pledged allegiance to him when she was a mere nine years old. He had watched her grow from a young girl into a young woman, and she had proven her loyalty and capability to him countless times, and she had yet to disappoint him. Furthermore, he had already started to see her as an adoptive daughter in reward for her brilliance and loyalty to him and his family.

"Toka, I am sure you have heard about  **Ishida Mitsunari[6]** , the senior commander and samurai warrior under Toyotomi?"

Toka nods. Of course she knew him. Every single Senju knew him as the samurai warlord who collaborated a lot with the Uchiha to exterminate the Senju and corner their allies. The mention of his name already brought a bad, bitter taste to Toka's mouth.

"Yes, Tokugawa-sama. What about him?"

"Well, there may be a chance that I will have Toyotomi disposed of in… ** _unconventional_**  ways."

And Toka froze as she whipped her head to look at Tokugawa, who waved at her to indicate that she had to reserve her questions for later. He had more important things to say.

"Which leaves his only son, Toyotomi Hideyori the Imperial Regent of Japan, the only heir to his inheritance. And I plan to offer my services as Guardian and Regent to him and eventually take control of the Court – but…"

He didn't need to finish the sentence. Toka knew who was going to be Tokugawa's obstacle to becoming Regent to the prince and eventually claiming all power for himself – Ishida Mitsunari.

"So what do you want me to do Tokugawa-sama?"

A sly smile made its way onto Tokugawa's face as he replied, "Oh, nothing too extreme for now. Now, all we need is to weaken our enemy bit by bit…starting with the Hagoromo clan."

Toka's hands froze mid-way as she was passing the tea cup over to Tokugawa, who only chuckled and winked slightly at Toka before carefully plucking the cup from her hands and taking a good long sip.

"I don't understand?" started Toka, "What do you plan to do with the Hagoromo – they've been long time allies with the Uchiha and Toyotomi."

"Oh something not too difficult, given your caliber. Just a little show of strength to convince them to come over to our side," replied Tokugawa as he set the tea cup down and gestured for Toka to pour more.

Toka mutely obeyed, adrenaline pumping through her veins as she tried to guess at what Tokugawa was planning to do. He was a sly fox when he wanted to be, oftentimes using simple and tiny displays of strength and aggression to get others to agree with him – which worked wonderfully well as compared to the grandiose aggression Toyotomi seemed to favor as of late.

"The  **Hagoromo [7]**  are a very unique clan with very unique traditions, Toka. Other than being particularly skilled wind users and poison makers, they are also amazing puppeteers, and have been known to create puppets out of living humans to bend to their will in battle. An amazing talent we could use to our advantage, don't you think?"

Toka only nodded, trying to hide her impatience as Tokugawa continued saying things she already knew about the Hagoromo.

"And apparently, they have a very  ** _funny_**  tradition of choosing alliances and agreeing to contracts only if the proposing party manages to defeat their strongest warrior in a duel…"

Toka's mind went careening off the cliff as she anticipated what he had to say. In other words, this meant…

**_"You want me to fight their strongest warrior to gain their allegiance?"_**  she demanded, eyes wide.

No doubt she had confidence in her abilities, but she's been on the opposite side against the Hagoromo to know that she would not stand a very high chance against these master puppeteers. She had seen enough to be afraid of one on the battlefield.

Tokugawa only laughed and waved at Toka, amused at her reaction.

"Oh don't worry your pretty head over this, my dear. I know that even you aren't a match against their strongest warriors. That is why I have assigned someone else to accompany you on this mission," said Tokugawa as he snapped his fingers.

In a blink of an eye, none other than Uchiha Izuna was there, standing right in front of them, head bowed in respect of the powerful warlord.

"At your service, Tokugawa-sama."

Sensing Toka's complete horror, Tokugawa attempted to place a reassuring hand on hers, but she was too fast.

Out of instinct, she leapt to her feet and positioned herself between him and Izuna in a protective stance, brandishing a kunai and demanding,  **"What's he doing here? He's an UCHIHA!"**

"I know, Toka I'm not blind! And no, I've not been put under some genjutsu if that's what you think," said Tokugawa, "It's just that this young man just made me an offer I couldn't refuse, and it's a perfect opportunity for me to assess his loyalty and true intentions.  ** _Put that weapon down, girl, he's no enemy!"_**

But Toka was hard of hearing and could only concentrate on the different ways she could skewer Izuna as he stood there in front of her, an annoying smirk adorning his handsome face and silent mocking her and daring her to make a swipe at him.

Just as Toka was about to release the kunai, Tokugawa's authoritative voice rang and resounded thunderously across the room.

**"STAND DOWN, SOLDIER!"**

Toka froze, unbidden and eyes wide as she registered the fact that Tokugawa had just raised his voice at her and called her "soldier".

Tokugawa had NEVER done that to her before, and she felt a great sense of shame burning like a slap across her face as she tried to hide the hurt from being yelled at like a common soldier by a father figure in her heart.  ** _It also meant Tokugawa meant business this time round._**

"Sorry, Tokugawa-sama. I got carried away," she murmured softly and sheathed her kunai before proceeding to dip her head in apology and settle quietly beside Tokugawa – unable to look at anyone as she attempted to hide the tears that threatened to form from being scolded so harshly by Tokugawa.

There was a tense silence before Tokugawa continued, "I have sent a notice of an intention for a duel and alliance to the Hagoromo, and they'll be expecting the both of you in five days. You both will each be given a copy of the agreement with the duel details and of course, in case either of you loses a copy."

Tokugawa then fixed Izuna with his most stern stare, and Izuna rightfully lowered his gaze in respect and submission as Tokugawa opened his mouth to speak.

**_"Uchiha Izuna - do not disappoint me."_ **

"I wouldn't dare, Tokugawa sama," replied Izuna, bowing his head in respect, "you will have your alliance with the Hagoromo."

"Good. Both of you are dismissed," said Tokugawa at last as he moved to take his opium pipe from below his desk in preparation for his daily smoking session.

Bowing in respect, both Toka and Izuna made their way silently out of the meeting hall, Toka all the while making sure to keep a measured distance between her and Izuna who was walking in front of her.

* * *

When the doors were finally shut, Toka immediately rounded on Izuna, who was languidly leaning against the doorpost and waiting for her to finish closing the doors, a triumphant expression on his face.

Grabbing him by the front of his collar, she hissed, "What the hell are you planning Izuna?"

"Nothing bad for you and your clan, I assure you," he replied, his eyes twinkling all too merrily for Toka's liking.

"If you even  **dare**  to lay a finger on my Tokugawa sama, I swear Izuna, I will – "

"What? Draw and quarter me? That doesn't sound very threatening, Toka, and you know how I'm much stronger than you anyway," huffed Izuna as he forcefully removed Toka's grip from his collar.

"And  ** _my_**  Tokugawa sama?" Izuna began, clucking away in disapproval.

He leaned forward so that his lips were barely brushing hers, "You forget that you're  ** _my woman_** , Toka – not his."

A mocking laugh escaped Toka's throat as she shook her hands free from Izuna's grip, disbelieving.

"What joke are you playing at Izuna? You already have a woman, and I'm not about to play second mistress to your wife, you chauvinistic pig!"

At this, Izuna's brows raised slightly in surprise before his face settled back into a lazy smirk.

"Oh? So you know about my recent marriage then? That's surprising, considering how recent it is and how private my clan is on such matters…have you been secretly snooping on me, Toka?" he teased, his eyes taking on a prideful, mischievous glint that greatly displeased Toka.

Toka glared and her glare only intensified when Izuna started chuckling softly to himself as her mind quickly tried to quickly arrange a snarky retort to his nefarious teasing – his ego was getting too damn big.

"My, my what a gaze, Toka. I'm sure if you had a Sharingan, I'd be dead by now," laughed Izuna.

"Yeah, you better be glad I don't," she snarled back, part angry and part incredulous that Uchiha Izuna of all people was laughing and teasing her like some ten-year-old kid with no sense of danger doing so in front of an enemy. It was so uncharacteristic of an Uchiha, if Toka had anything to say about it.

She had half a mind to just stop his rambunctious laughter right then and there with a little harmless kick to his stomach when Izuna, as if by some telepathic ability, seemed to sense it and dodge it just in time, Toka's toes barely brushing his cloak as he stepped gracefully to the side, smirk still plastered all over his face.

The two stood in short silence as they stared at each other – one smiling and the other almost snarling and ready to strike again, before Izuna glided slowly up to Toka and gently brushed a stray hair from her face.

"I knew you still care, my love," he whispered, his voice a soft, low chime of bells that blew along with the breeze that was currently ruffling their cloaks as they stood outside the meeting room.

And he leaned down to give her a quick peck on the cheek before he took one graceful leap and disappeared into the forest, his dark cloak billowing about him and giving him the appearance of a fearsome giant crow taking flight. The predatory majesty of it entranced Toka to the point where she barely heard his last parting words.

**_I'll see you soon._ **

* * *

**End Notes:**

And at last Izuna is unhappily married, and we see the conflict he has between love for Toka and love for his clan, and at the same time I wanted to give him a more human side by highlighting his fleshly desires as a man in the presence of his beautiful wife. I apologise if the beginning was badly written smut, I am but a mere beginner when it comes to writing sex scenes. . *Runs and hides in a corner*

As for Toka, we start to see her relationship with the Senju clan's patron, the great warlord Tokugawa who would eventually become Shogun of Japan (historically, at least). I'd always imagined her to be a close aide and right-hand woman of such powerful warlords and that shrewd men like Tokugawa would appreciate her battle hardiness and wit. And yes – she has a bit of a daddy complex with him LOL due to a lack of a father figure in her life.

And yes, Izuna, sneaky bastard as he is has managed to get himself on a mission with Toka – although his intentions may not be as pure as it seems.

**[1]**  The moon and moonlight has always been representative of the female yin or mental/dark energy in Far East Asian culture, and is believed that absorbing of too much of such energy would drain a person of his or her vitality and sanity.

**[2]**  In my headcanon, the Sharingan also activates when the user is aroused.

**[3]**  Despite Izuna being rougher than desired with Akemi, I wanted his show of dominance to reflect the slightly more chauvinistic attitudes that men in the warring states era of Japan were likely to , and the fact that Akemi is already a  ** _very spoiled woman_** ,and Izuna does not want to spoil her even more by portraying himself as the weaker one who gives in all the time in the relationship. Also, the passion play they engage in is almost like a scripted act as both perform their rightful duties to the clan. You know that scene called  ** _"Past the Point of No Return"_**  from  **Phantom of the Opera**? Something like that.

**[4] Rapprochement**  – A reference to a time period during the Cold War when the USA tried to rekindle a more cordial relationship with China. Basically, two rivals playing it nice in order to gain an upper advantage in the long run.

**[5] Transform at will**  - In line with what we saw from Hiruzen, the Sarutobi have a strong connection with Monkeys. In Far Eastern Mythology, there is a Monkey King/God (Sun Wukong in Chinese, Goku in Japanese) who is famous for his ability to shape shift, and has his signature "72 Transformations". So yes, Sasuke Sarutobi, the father of Hiruzen, was basically the Minerva McGonagall of his time. :)

**[6] Ishida Mitsunari**  – one of the most trusted aides of Toyotomi, and he would eventually conflict with Tokugawa and question Tokugawa's loyalty to Toyotomi.

**[7] Hagoromo Clan**  - Although not much is mentioned of them other than the fact that they were allies with the Uchiha against the Senju in Pre-Konoha times, I like to imagine them as the original puppet masters and poison specialists, and that their clan would have famous descendants like Sasori of the Akatsuki.

 


	18. Ship Ahoy

Izuna and Toka set off on their mission as they start their long journey to the lands of the Hagoromo. Izuna gets a little snarky, and so do Tobirama and Mito.

**Characters** : Izuna, Toka, Tobirama, Hashirama, Mito

* * *

**Summer 1595, Aoi Bay**

It was a blustery morning when Toka made her way along the wooden pier, clenching her jaw from the biting cold wind as she unconsciously palmed the white tooth fang hidden beneath her cloak.

Tobirama had insisted she bring it along after she informed him and Hashirama of Izuna's "defection" to Tokugawa. When Tobirama passed it to her, she recognized it as an emergency whistle he had given her when she previously snuck into the Uchiha clan compound under the disguise of an unknown female Uchiha. She mentally shivered from the horrific memories of Izuna's electric bolt that almost killed and burned her alive – she would have been dead if not for the whistle and the saving grace of Tobirama's wolf summons.

Looking up, she saw that Izuna had already boarded the ship and was gazing out into the distant horizon, draped in nothing but his signature Uchiha black cloak that billowed in the strong gale of wind, making him look like the fearsome Tengu warrior he was. Except this time, there was a tinge of sadness and forlornness as he gazed unblinkingly out to the choppy sea.

Toka internally groaned – the prospect of a week-long mission and being stuck on the same ship for three days was not something that boded well for her and her sanity.

* * *

Being early was a virtue, as Izuna stongly believed. And he had to be on his best behavior and performance for this crucial mission – Tokugawa, like Toyotomi, would not tolerate failure, and Izuna was determined to make this mission a success and gain Tokugawa's acceptance and trust.

It would be hard earned and not given just because he completed this mission – he knew the trust of someone as cunning and powerful as Tokugawa was not easily earned and given. Izuna internally smirked – that was one smart daimyo.

**_It would have been treason, what Izuna was doing now – two-timing the daimyos._**  But he wouldn't have resorted to this if he felt it wasn't for the good of the Uchiha. Already he could see the effects of Madara's oncoming blindness on the battlefield – more casualties for the Uchiha and their allies, more shifty eyes that darted towards Madara in suspicion as he nursed increasingly more injuries.

Despite not being an Inuzuka, Izuna could smell the seeds of revolt taking root amongst the clans that the Uchiha had forcibly subdued under Toyotomi's direct order. Izuna and Madara knew they never wanted to serve under the Uchiha, but Toyotomi had forced them to co-operate or they would face certain death under the blade of the Uchiha. And Izuna was no fool, any sign of weakness by Madara would be seen as an opportunity by these clans, and even though Toyotomi still had strong armies and allies, Izuna, a brilliant tactian by nature, knew that he had to create back-up plans in the situation where Toyotomi lost the race for power.

**And being a double agent was it.**

A soft sigh escaped his lips as he contemplated telling Madara about his double agent plans upon his return – he hadn't told Madara yet because he knew his brother was an obstinate mule who still held the strong and loyal samurai mentality that his clan seemed to think was honorable and expected of any Uchiha.

But to the ruthlessly pragmatic Izuna, such a samurai mentality was stupid and served no purpose other than to be fodder for some literary novel at some imaginative writer's behest. If it meant serving the same master as the enemy Senju, then so be it – so long as both Madara and the clan survive.

Izuna's thoughts were interrupted when his keen senses picked up a familiar chakra signature behind him and he turned to see Toka there, beautiful and alluring even with minimal makeup on and a travel bag slung across her shoulder.

"Good morning, Toka. You look slightly cranky today, didn't have a good sleep?" he grinned, unable to resist teasing her. It  ** _definitely_**  got a stronger and better reaction from her than just complimenting her.

Toka scoffed and rolled her eyes in response, "How considerate of you to think of my well-being, Izuna."

"Of course I am concerned about your well-being," said Izuna,  ** _"You're my woman after all."_**

To that, Toka only gave him an exasperated glare and was about to open her mouth to say something when both of them were interrupted by the arrival of a huge, beefy man with a thick black moustache and long arms like a gorilla.

"Good morning, Miss. I'm Captain Jin, and if you please, I'd like to show you to your cabin."

"Oh that would be so lovely of you, Captain," Toka smiled, and Captain Jin blushed slightly from her beauty as he extended his arm out to show her the way.

"This way, please, Ma'am."

Giving one last glare at Izuna, Toka followed the captain, only to realize to her horror that Izuna was following closely behind her.

Whipping around, she snapped at him,  ** _"You're not following, Mister."_**

Izuna had a look of mock hurt on his face, "Oh, you wound me Toka. Would you deny me the chance to know where you will stay so that I can keep a lookout for you? That's what men are supposed to do right? Protect their women?"

"He's right, Miss. It's a man's duty to protect a woman. And I've a real rowdy crew who may try something funny on such a beautiful woman as you, so you better be careful," interrupted Captain Jin,before Toka could retort back.

Toka groaned – it was too damn early in the morning and she just could not muster enough strength to argue with the captain or strangle him by the neck, so she just let the matter drop and followed him to the cabin, ignoring Izuna's snickering behind her.

**_That bastard. I'll get him one of these days._ **

After turning a few corners, they arrived in front of a polished cabin door and Captain Jin unlocked it with a golden key he took out from his pocket. With a single shove, the door creaked open to reveal a brightly lit room with sunlight streaming in from the windows and a magnificent view of the sea.

Toka gasped, awed by the sight of it and she almost forgot that Izuna was behind her as she stepped into the room, silent and reverent.

Seeing the golden dappled waves upon that mesmerizing blue, it made Toka's feet tingle and for the briefest of moments, it was as though she was back into mermaid form, and it was not her eyes, but her tail and her body that were trailing the tranquil waters of the ocean.

**_I'm home._ **

"This is such a beautiful room, Captain Jin. Thank you," she said, turning round to give him a short and polite bow.

Captain Jin grinned, "No problem, Miss. The lord Tokugawa said you loved the ocean and to make sure to give you a room with a good view of it."

At this revelation, Toka's cheeks turned slightly pink from the blush that powdered her cheeks.

**_I guess Tokugawa still cares for me, after all._ **

"Thank you nonetheless, Captain."

"Hehe," said Captain Jin, and he tossed the keys to Toka, who caught them deftly with one dainty hand, "Just holler for me whenever you need me. I'll be off then, gotta get this ship sailing if we wanna arrive on time."

Toka bowed, and Captain Jin left, leaving Izuna and Toka alone in the room.

"Are you sure Tokugawa isn't anything more than your patron?" asked Izuna quizzically, "He's taking awfully good care of you."

Even though his tone was neutral, Toka could sense the undercurrents of suspicion and jealousy that emanated from the Uchiha's tall and dark figure.

"I don't see how that should concern you – it's got nothing to do with our mission, I must remind you," said Toka nonchalantly as she placed her travel bag onto the bed and started unpacking some toiletries and regular travel items.

Izuna frowned, displeased with her evasion of his question. He had previously ignored it when Toka referred to Tokugawa as  ** _her_**  Tokugawa, writing it off as some instinct to protect the long-time patron of her clan, but now, after hearing the extra efforts Tokugawa went in order to ensure Toka's comfort… well, Izuna was now rightfully suspicious AND jealous, his possessiveness eating away slowly at his pride and heart.

**_Could… Toka be Tokugawa's secret mistress? That's impossible, she couldn't…she wouldn't…was Madara right all along? Was she playing him?_ **

Jealousy was an ugly thing, and it was something that no lover of an Uchiha wanted to make their Uchiha counterpart feel unless they wanted something bad to happen.

Something bad like the spurned Uchiha taking possession of their travel bag and conducting a thorough search of all its contents.

"Hey!" cried Toka, making a swipe to grab her bag, but Izuna simply ignored her attempts as he continued his search.

" _That's…. that's an invasion of privacy! Give it back to me before I kill you!"_  she threatened, barely able to believe that Izuna had managed to cross the short distance and grab her bag in less than a blink's eye. It was crazy, that speed he had, and Toka's kunoichi instincts were suddenly on extremely high alert and she had to control herself from punching him to the underworld and back.

**_Not even Tobirama was that fast…._ **

Ignoring that niggling thought that incited worry in her heart and what it meant for future battles between her cousin and Izuna, Toka folded her arms when Izuna dropped her bag onto the bed and gave her the most annoyingly bright and innocent smile.

"There! All done! Nothing dangerous or suspicious objects were found in your bag, Ma'am! We are now all safe for the three day sail!"

"THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" shrieked Toka.

And there it was again – Izuna's innocent face that made him look ten years younger and ten times less dangerous than he really was.

"Oh just a little security check in case any of those pesky sailors sneaked something into your bag – you know that the Senju aren't the most liked in the land right? Who knows if one of them managed to put an explosive tag in there!"

At this, Toka rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, Mr Kind Samaritan. We all knew it was cos you were jealous of my Tokugawa-sama."

At the phrase "my Tokugawa-sama," Toka inwardly smirked in triumph as Izuna's angelic face darkened just that slightly before he schooled it back into that frighteningly cheerful and cheeky expression he wore.

"Well, if you knew that was the case, you should just have answered my question on what your exact relationship with him is," drawled Izuna lazily as he sank onto the edge of the bed.

If Izuna wasn't married, if Izuna wasn't the enemy, if she wasn't a Senju, Toka would have found a sulking Izuna unquestioningly adorable. But he wasn't.

"And my answer would still have been the same. Now. Get off my bed!" said Toka, tired of Izuna acting like some jealous spoilt brat.

No sooner had the words left her mouth that Izuna sprawled himself squarely in the middle of the bed and stretched as his eyelids fluttered close, like a black cat nestled snugly in the warm covers of the bed, and Toka internally groaned.

She loved freshly made beds, and she loved being the first to get into them. With him there now,  **those crumpled sheets… Those, crisp, fresh sheets….they were gone...Wait...was he ROLLING in them?**

"Nope, not a chance. This bed is so warm and comfortable, I'm staying here."

**There. She's had it.**

**_Kick him off. Kick him off the bed and punch that bastard into eternity for invading my privacy AND robbing me of the virgin sheets of my bed. That bastard, I'll…I'll…._ **

It took all of Toka's rationality and self-control not to do exactly what her emotions were telling her to do and kick Izuna off her bed. First, she knew even if she tried to, Izuna would be way too fast for her. His previous speed told her that. Secondly and most importantly, if she did try to kick him, she would be stepping into Izuna's trap and the gods only knew what trap he had hidden for her if she attempted to kick him.

**_Well, two can play at this game_** , thought Toka snarkily as she strode swiftly to the bed, purposely giving off a furious aura to make Izuna believe she was angry and about to do exactly what he wanted  ** _her_**  to do.

She could see it, even though he didn't show it.

Izuna's eyes were closed, but as she approached in those heavy, staccato steps, she saw his smile inch upwards ever that slightly into a slow smirk.

**_Boy, was he getting a surprise._ **

When she finally got to the bed, Toka slowly leaned closer, instincts on high alert in case Izuna decided to make sudden unexpected movements – and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

THAT got Izuna by surprise as she strayed off the path he had forged for her, hoping she'd walk into his manipulations, and his eyes flashed open, wide and disbelieving for the briefest of moments as he stared at Toka, mouth slightly agape.

Ignoring that flash of hope and happiness that crossed his face, Toka seized the opportunity to ram a sharp and painful elbow into his back, and the blow hit true to its mark as Izuna cried out in pain, but this time, Toka was too fast.

She grabbed him by his collar and with one swift kick to the stomach, sent him flying out of the room and she followed suit, making sure to slam the door close after Izuna's form passed the door frame and proceeded to lock it.

Uttering some words and making some hand seals had Toka erect a few layers of protective seals around her room, allowing any unwanted intrusions to alert her and even fend off thieves and unwanted visitors like Izuna. As she did so, she blissfully ignored the dull groans that emanated from beyond the sealed door, and secretly hoped Izuna wouldn't kill her later on for it.

It was only a kick that didn't damage internal organs after all. Izuna would be petty to grumble with her about it. One thing was for sure, though.

She had left Izuna with a little of a bruised ego and muscle, and in her most honest opinion, that was all fitting punishment for searching her bag without her permission and messing up her fresh bedsheet covers.

* * *

**Summer 1595, Senju Clan Compound**

"No, for the last time, Tobirama, we are NOT going to capture General Hikaku half way through the battle to interrogate him about Izuna," sighed Hashirama as he sank back into his seat.

"Well, if we are not going to do that, we may get indirect and corrupted information about what Uchiha Izuna is planning by double timing Toyotomi and Tokugawa!" said Tobirama, his patience wearing thin.

They had been at this argument for the past half hour, with the two Senju brothers at an impasse.

General Hikaku was the cousin of Madara and Izuna, and was known to be a powerful Sharingan warrior who enjoyed the confidence and love of his clan leaders, and was Tobirama's prime target to extract important information regarding Izuna's sudden "defection".

Hashirama, his beloved brother, the ever naïve and stupid optimist that he was, refused to listen to Tobirama and still believed that the Uchiha were brethren who needed more efforts in peacemaking to get them to agree to a final alliance to end all inter-clan conflicts.

"Listen, anija. If we got  **Yamanaka Inoichi [1]**  to extract certain excerpts from Hikaku's memories, I'm sure Hikaku would return to battle not knowing what happened, and he will still be unharmed."

"That's not the point Tobirama! The point is that we are not supposed to treat the Uchiha in such an underhanded manner if we are to earn their trust and willingness to peace!" said Hashirama.

**_Like that has helped the Uchiha in being more willing to make peace with the Senju since you became leader and started these ridiculous peace mesasures,_**  thought Tobirama sullenly.

"You don't understand, anija! The Uchiha are not like any other clan! They don't respond to such kind measures – tell me, NAME ME one instance where they agreed to all those temporary truces you sent them since you became leader."

Hashirama was silent as Tobirama continued on, ranting.

"Don't be stupid and tell me you haven't noticed how different Madara and Izuna are after they got their Mangekyou – you know better than I do, the Uchiha are rabid dogs that need to be kept in place  **AND AT BAY** , and if you really are our clan leader and care what  **DISASTER**  Uchiha Izuna could potentially be doing to us and Tokugawa, you would allow me to intercept General Hikaku!"

**_"SILENCE, TOBIRAMA!"_ **

Tobirama stopped and gazed at his brother, fear seeping into his bones as he felt Hashirama's chakra uncoil like the bloodied old branches of the darkest trees, wrapping around his own feet, daring him to speak more.

No one, absolutely no one in their right mind would dare to go against Hashirama's command. Despite all the cheerfulness and bright optimism his brother portrayed, Tobirama knew Hashirama was as much a ruthless tyrant as their father Butsuma before him when his commands and ideals were challenged and trampled upon.

Tobirama would be a fool to think Hashirama was what many other people thought him to be – a naïve, tree-hugging, peace loving man.

**_Hashirama was a shinobi, and an idealistic shinobi at that. And he was ruthless in his idealism – that was what made Tobirama afraid and wary whenever he said things out of turn in times like these and got his brother mad._ **

"Of course, anija. I shan't disturb you anymore."

With a quick bow, Tobirama exited Hashirama's study, mind still reeling as he attempted to recover from the fear of being speared by his own brother's mokuton for insulting his ideals and questioning his clan loyalty.

He barely even noticed when he almost ran into Mito. But thankfully, Tobirama was a shinobi, and a calm person by nature, so he managed to side step Mito in time, an inch short of ramming straight into her and sending her toppling onto the floor.

"Sorry, Mito. I was busy thinking and hadn't noticed," he mumbled in apology, inclining his head politely towards his sister-in-law.

Mito merely looked at him with concern in her bright brown eyes, a knowing look in them. In the sunlight, the red strands of her hair caught the light and transformed her red mane into something absolutely glorious, like ruby red silk from the looms of the gods themselves. Combined with her flawless and supple ivory skin, Tobirama, despite the whirlwind of confusion in his mind, was able to stop and just appreciate the ethereal and majestic beauty of Uzumaki Mito.

"I know what happened, Tobirama," she whispered, softly.

Taking one of his hands in hers, she allowed a small string of her thin, blue chakra to weave themselves between her fingers and Tobirama's. A long, thin thread of ocean blue to wash over his fears, his anxieties, and slowly but surely, Tobirama felt it.

The lulling, slow waves of the ocean that washed it all away – ebbing and flowing with the tides of Mito's currents.

Feeling peaceful and calm at last, he graced Mito with a smile, "Thank you, Mito."

"Don't mention it," she smiled back, and patted his hand reassuringly.

"How did you know what we were talking about, Mito?" questioned Tobirama, curious.

Mito laughed, an elfish look on her face as she winked back at him, "I'm a sensor, just like you Tobirama! And unlike all of you Senju, we Uzumaki have brilliant hearing – and both you and Hashirama were not the most discreet of people."

Ah, that explained it. He knew Mito was a sensor, but he hadn't known the Uzumaki possessed such brilliant and sensitive hearing too. That was a useful skill for reconnaissance or spying missions, and he made a mental note of that in case he required their help in the future.

"Don't worry about it, Tobirama. I will persuade Hashirama to allow you to intercept General Hikaku, you have my word," Mito said.

"What – why? Why would you do that, Mito?" demanded Tobirama, shocked.

Usually Mito would side with Hashirama in attaining peace with the Uchiha, as she too, believed that should the two strongest clans of the Uchiha and Senju stop offering their services, the war and conflict would progressively stop as the daimyo recognized the fighting to be futile without the Uchiha and Senju powers supporting their cause. This sudden change surprised Tobirama, to say the least.

Sighing, Mito just shook her head, "Double agents never bode well, Tobirama. That is all I can say."

There was a moment of silence before Tobirama bowed to Mito, "Thank you, Mito. I owe you one, but I think it will take some persuading for Hashirama to agree."

And Mito laughed again as she rubbed a hand over her swollen belly and gave Tobirama a sneaky look, "Oh, don't worry.  **Hashirama can't say no to**   ** _this_**."

This time, a smirk crossed Tobirama's face as he approved of Mito's artful use of feminine charm and tugging of his brother's heartstrings.

**_There is indeed no weapon more dangerous than a woman,_**  he mused.

And with a bow, he excused himself and went on his way, smiling and awaiting Hashirama's approval of his own proposed plans.

* * *

**Day 2 at Sea, 1595**

As much as Toka loved the sea, just two days of being on board a ship with a motley crew of rowdy, drunk and dirty sailors had convinced her that there was no where else she would love to be further from than the sea. It gave rise to the ugliest behaviors in humans.

First, it was personal hygiene. None of the sailors thought it important to shower at least once per day. Not even a scrub down.  ** _"Salt water does no good for the skin,"_**  they had told her when she questioned them about it. She could only roll her eyes at their comment.

Second, it was rum. Rum made even the best and most respectable men into complete idiots, and for all that Toka disliked or wished she disliked about Izuna, she was glad to know that he and Uchiha men in general stayed far away from rum or any kind of alcoholic beverage.

Sadly, she couldn't say the same for her cousin and clan leader Hashirama – like every other typical Senju man, he seemed to think that a man's liquor limit was a test of his manliness and strength when in reality it probably made him a blundering idiot with an overworked liver that was bound to kill him sooner or later.  **Idiots.**

**_Add that on to Hashirama's gambling problem and… Oh God. No, Toka did not want to think about it._ **

Thirdly and most importantly – the sailors leered. Toka had no doubt in her mind that she was a beautiful woman, and many men have made eyes at her before. But if cultured warriors like Izuna made violent advances on women, then these sailors were even more uninhibited and flamboyant in it.

Each time she walked along the corridors or the starboard, the sailors would whistle and cat-call to her while making derogatory and suggestive remarks about certain female parts that were explicit enough to make Toka blush despite her stone-faced demeanor.

The breaking point came during the communal dinner on the second night, when Toka was quietly eating her bowl of what looked to be mushy corn soup when she felt a huge chakra signature behind her and turned to see a bulky, beefy sailor with a bulging paunch and a menacing look upon his face.

"Say lady, it's been a month since any one of us have gotten the chance to get back home and see our women. Wanna be our lady for the night?" he grinned, revealing crooked, yellowed teeth with golden coverings upon them.

His grip upon her arm was painful, and Toka had to resist the urge to yelp like a damsel in distress as she readied a chakra infused punch to that bastard's face.

But it was all for nought when a sudden dark presence filled the room, like a poisonous dark cloud that choked up the air in the atmosphere – and Toka only had to use her sensory instincts to know it was Uchiha Izuna, standing right beside the sailor with a firm hand on his shoulder and baring his teeth in a threatening smile.

"Sorry. She's my woman, in case the whole lot of you haven't realized by now," Izuna said, voice low and husky in an almost wolf-like growl.

All the sailors were wide-eyed and open mouthed in horror, and some were clawing slightly at their necks as if they were trying to free themselves from an invisible hand that was choking them.

**_Poor things, those sailors. They most likely never experienced chakra before, much less a genjutsu_** , mused Toka quietly to herself.

She watched as Izuna held all the sailors captive in a genjutsu, and it was like watching a still image in slow motion as a myriad of horrified expressions flitted across the sailors' faces before the genjutsu finally lifted, and the room was noisy once again as they wheezed and attempted to catch their breath.

The beefy man who had advanced on Toka earlier gave one terrified glance at Izuna before scurrying away as far from him as possible, muttering apologies under his breath.

Curious, Toka turned and asked, "What did you do to them?"

Izuna shrugged, a nonchalant look upon his face as he settled on the bench opposite her, "Nothing much. Just a little genjutsu to imbue some fear in them."

He fell silent for a little while, and Toka assumed he was done. However, she was wrong. Izuna's face slowly morphed into a mischievous grin as he continued – this time, in a lighthearted and almost childlike tone, "Oh, and I took the liberty of implanting a certain suggestion in their heads that you are my wife, and they are not to touch you unless they want to die on the spot. Brilliant idea, eh?"

Toka's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets as she stared incredulously at her mission partner, teeth bared in a cheeky, open toothed grin.

"I can't believe you! Have you no shame? You already have a wife! Is this how you treat her? I'm disappointed!" said Toka.

At this, Izuna frowned slightly and fixed Toka with a dark stare and it took a great amount of courage for Toka to level her eyes with his, knowing that as an enemy, there was the threat of his Sharingan swimming below the surface, and she had to take precautions.

"I don't see how that makes a difference, Toka. Firstly, that is the most effective way to protect you. Second - I bear no love for my wife. I was forced to marry out of duty! You know the only one that I love and will ever love is you, Toka," Izuna said lowly, his onyx eyes never leaving hers.

Toka only chuckled in response, "No one can ever know that, Izuna. You cannot see into a person's heart - there is no way I can know what you really feel about me any more than you know what I feel about you."

It was Izuna's turn to chuckle now as he set his cup down on the table between them. "Oh, that's where you're probably wrong, Toka dear. I saw you and your intentions even when you masked yourself as Uchiha Mariko, remember?"

Toka froze. Oh yes, she remembered it well. She remembered Izuna's uncomfortably piercing gaze and the loud thumping of her heart as she counted the seconds to which he would expose her and kill her in the Uchiha compound. It was as though he could see past her pretences, and it was terrifying.

A slow, lazy smirk formed on Izuna's head as he saw Toka's facial expression and knew she remembered. "The Sharingan are gifted eyes that see everything, Toka. Sure, it may not see emotions or intentions, but unlike normal Sharingan wielders, you and I have a bond that we cannot deny. There is no way I do not know you, Toka."

**I will always see you, and I will always find you. You see that red thread [2]? That red thread of fate binding us together? Don't tell me you don't see it too.**

Izuna's words remained unspoken, but Toka knew them anyway. Izuna was right. They were one and the same kind, no matter what the circumstances that forced their way between them, somehow there was always that tiny thread that linked their heartfelt feelings together.

**"Do you know, I dream of another me, and another you, in another world, in an era gone by,"**  whispered Izuna, leaning in closer as he placed a warm hand over Toka's, his gaze never leaving hers and fixing her to the spot.

At this, Toka jolted in surprise. Could he mean...?

Those dreams...those dreams she had of herself as Ashura's daughter Terumi... and her lover Eiji, who was Izuna in another life and another form. She had initially written them off as her subconscious missing Izuna and creating those dreams of her own, but for Izuna to have the same dream - it was unbelievable and creepy at the same time.  _ **Just what sorcery was this that drew them together and tore them apart, in their waking hours and moments of slumber?**_

"What was your name?" Toka demanded.

Izuna smiled, as if to say  _"I knew you had the same dream too."_

"My name...was Otsutsuki Eiji. And you were Otsutsuki Terumi," he replied.

"Oh gods... what is happening?" thought Toka aloud as her mind went racing at Izuna's answer.

And she felt Izuna's hand rubbing reassuring circles on hers as he said, "I do not know, Toka. One thing is for sure, it must have been real, once upon a time...we were lovers in a previous lifetime, and now we are trapped in the same cycle, just in different bodies and different identities."

Toka squeezed Izuna's hand as a worried and frantic expression flitted across her aquamarine eyes.

_**"Does this mean...we can dream of our ending before it actually happens?"**  _whispered Toka.

There was a tense silence between the two shinobi as they paused to think about it - so far, their visions and dreams of their past lives were of events that happened in the past or in the near future. If they were meant to be, then surely they would dream of the outcome before it even happened, right?

"It is possible, Toka. But why should it matter?" replied Izuna, and he squeezed her hand harder as he wrapped her two dainty hands in his, his eyes imploring. "Why should it matter? Even if the outcome showed us not to be together, that does not mean we shouldn't try. Destiny is in our hands, not something decided by fate, Toka!"

At least, that's what Izuna thought when it came to his love and relationship with Toka. He didn't believe in destiny or fate when it came to individual ability - the Uchiha believed in achieving brilliance and power through an individual's efforts. Although one's ancestry could be a predictor of future potential, but there have been many times when this archaic notion was proven wrong.  **This was why clan leadership amongst the Uchiha wasn't inherited. It was earned.**

However, there are some instances where Izuna believed in destiny and fate - like how the Uchiha and Senju were fated to be locked in conflict for eternity, and how the world was fated to be one of winners and losers, a life and vicious cycle of a tussle of power. There was too much bad blood between them not to believe such blood debts could be erased with superficial and tiny peace measures that Hashirama seemed overtly fond of. If one wanted to protect and bring peace to those they cared about, power was key. Power was the answer.

But this - Izuna knew he was blind. Blinded by his inherent desire and love for a woman who was destined to be his enemy by virtue of her birth. And yet, those dreams they shared, that red string of fate that kept bringing them together...surely that meant they were meant to defy destiny and fate, just this once?

**_He wouldn't know. He'd never know. All he knew was that the six year old boy who saved that beautiful mermaid on the beach that day thirteen years ago - that boy, with his wild dreams and innocent wishes still resided in his heart, and that boy wanted to believe that he could defy destiny for her - just this once._ **

"Please," Izuna pleaded.

And Toka stared back at him, eyes wet with unshed tears as she stroked his face softly, "I know, Izuna. But I...it's not easy. And I just need time - time to sort out all my thoughts...things are just not that simple, you know?"

No, of course they weren't. Not when it concerned the Uchiha and Senju. Not when it concerned thousands of lives at stake and another thousand years of mutual bloodshed and conflict.

Izuna laughed, bitter. That six year old boy within his soul immediately scurrying back, and he finds his nineteen year old self - cynical and hardened from conflict, war and hatred, back again as he puts on the mask of a warrior. "I understand, Toka."

He stands up, tired and fatigued. "We still have one day left to the lands of the Hagoromo. You better get an early rest, Toka."

"Thank you," Toka replies, and gifts him with a polite smile.

He smiles back, before turning to leave.

* * *

That night, Toka was left thinking about Izuna's words and left completely torn again.

She hated dilemmas, especially dilemmas involving Izuna. Whenever she thinks she's done and through with him, he always comes back and shakes her heart again.

And that night, when she dreams of herself as Otsutsuki Terumi, she is not surprised to dream of herself wrapped in Eiji's loving embrace as he kisses her and whispers words of love to her. She was probably the luckiest woman in all the earth, to be loved as such. For the most fleeting of moments, Toka feels it - feels Izuna's lips upon hers, ghosting past her lips before she wakes up in cold sweat - alone, in her room.

_**The heart wants what it wants, and hers is telling her that she wants Izuna. No fighting it anymore. Her previous life seemed to agree, and she wonders if Izuna dreamed the same.** _

* * *

**End Notes:**

And finally, Izuna's true intentions are revealed! He has decided to be a double agent - and use Tokugawa as a back-up plan in the event that Toyotomi loses the battle for power. We also see a darker side to Hashirama where he is not above exerting his strength to get people to step in line with what he wants - after all, he was raised in times of war, and I think Hashirama took some authoritarian elements from his own father too.

Also, a manipulative and pregnant Mito who is smart and discerning enough to talk some sense into Hashirama. ;) What better way to get your man to say yes than walking around with a pregnant belly?

We also see a cheekier and more playful side to Izuna, despite his jealousy and possessiveness. I've always had this head canon that Izuna was a ladies' man haha, given how he is more harmonic and peaceful by nature compared to Madara, who is more belligerent. Therefore, Izuna probably came across as the refined, sophisticated and suave man with good looks, charm and an always ready smile. Something women would definitely fall for. And he's also not above acting like an angel to cater to women's maternal instincts. Plus, Toka is VERY attuned to Izuna's manipulative nature and is able to beat him at his own game and wound his ego in the process. XD And she has a thing for crisp, fresh beds and covers.

Towards the end, I wanted to show the inner conflict that reigns in Izuna's mind too as he loves Toka, and loves his clan, and he wants to seek a balance between both and HAVE both. And that just like his own brother Madara, he also has a weak and childlike part of him that wishes for an ideal - in this case, of overcoming destiny and clan boundaries to be with the woman he loves. (not necessarily for peace. Izuna is more selfish than Madara in this regard I guess) Despite this shared understanding, it's also not easy for him and Toka to forget clan loyalties and reality easily, but they'll come to a conclusion soon. :)

Also, even though the Uchiha are portrayed to believe in fate, I don't think it applies to every aspect of their life. The  **Curse of Hatred**  is really about them believing they're destined for revenge against their enemies. However, I also believe that the Uchiha are also highly meritocratic, unlike say the Hyuga, who are more bureaucratic. So an Uchiha can be born into a low-class family, but if he proves himself strong in battle, he is as respectable and qualified to be a clan head as someone born with higher status. This is in contrast to the Hyuga's belief that one's destiny is sealed upon birth.

**[1] Yamanaka Inoichi**  - Haha, in the manga he's Ino's father, but cos I can't think of a better name for this guy who existed generations before Ino and her father, I just used his name XD The Yamanaka are supposedly able to read minds and extract information from a person, very much like the telepathic ability Professor Charles Xavier from X Men has :D they're the Prof Charles in the Naruto world!

**[2] Red Thread of Fate**  - In Far Eastern culture, the red thread of fate is woven between two lovers and souls who are meant to be together. Somehow, this notion of being bound to a person and having a certain fate with them reminds me of Taylor Swift's song "Style". That one particular line where she sings "And when we go crashing down, we come back every time, we never go out of style." Like they're always on repeat. But anyway, commentaries on Taylor can be reserved for other times.

 


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